Vada Woods

Vada Woods's Fundraiser

One wave sets thousands in motion. image

One wave sets thousands in motion.

Our annual fundraiser supports scholarships, our Adapted Seido Karate program, and Violence Prevention outreach in the community.

We are no longer accepting donations on this campaign, but there are other ways for you to support us today!
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$1,264 towards $1,250

In the months and weeks leading up to last fall's election, and in the weeks and months following it, we all witnessed the alarming rise in open hostility and violence that even now shows no signs of waning. As various media sources reported examples of public outbursts of hostility against individuals, along with the varied responses of witnesses, I tried to imagine what I would do if I found myself in one of these scenarios. Surely I could not stay silent or turn away. But how could I safely and effectively respond? How could I, in the words of the Holocaust Museum, be an upstander and not a bystander?

I was able to get some answers to these questions at Thousand Waves on January 15 when Vada and I attended a workshop entitled "Self-Defense and Bystander Intervention for Prevention of Identity-Based Violence." This workshop was generously offered at no cost to the community as part of Thousand Waves' dedication to preventing violence in all its forms. In fact, the January workshop was the second free offering of this program, and it continues to be offered periodically in response to ongoing concerns within our community.

The workshop was free to participants, but not without cost to Thousand Waves. Thousand Waves makes a positive impact in our community in many ways. Now is the time for the community to give back by donating to our annual fundraising campaign.

Thousand Waves is a mission-driven not-for-profit in the city of Chicago that has been active in the community for over 32 years with a mission to foster fitness, healing, empowerment, and peacemaking.

Spirit Challenge Fundraiser supports Thousand Waves' work in three critical areas:

  • Scholarships, which provide funding for children and adults who wouldn't otherwise be able to study karate or self-defense.
  • Adapted Seido Karate (ASK), a partnership with RIC that provides karate for youth with disabilities.
  • Self-Defense/Violence Prevention, which provides Self-defense and Bystander Intervention workshops and courses all over the city.

Thousand Waves' name comes from the Japanese saying, "One wave sets thousands in motion." Just one donation will go a long way to helping me meet my goal for Thousand Waves. Thank you for your support!