Karate kids get a kick out of fundraiser

Kids got a kick out of helping the Hugo tornado victims through their sport.

Students at the Woodbury USA Karate school took part in a two-hour kickathon on June 14, raising $3,600 for the people affected by the tornado which struck Hugo on May 25.

One boy, who received a prize for the highest total, performed an impressive 347 kicks, while three sisters who worked together scored 360 kicks between them.

Lisa Pruden, the manager of the school which is located on Eagle Creek Lane, Woodbury, said most students who took part made an average of 100 kicks, and were sponsored by family and friends per kick.

“We opened a new school in Hugo last year,” she said, explaining why the business decided to hold a fundraiser.

“We were very fortunate not to have any damage but a lot of the townhouses around us had windows broken, and there’s a really nice fountain in the strip mall where the school is that fell over and broke in the tornado.

“We were brand new in an area which has a lot of damage and we wanted to help people out there.”

The $3,600 which was raised has been sent to the Hugo Tornado Relief Fund, which will be distributed by the Red Cross.

For more information on USA Karate, visit www.usa-karate.net.

Tags: business, karate, fundraiser, kicks, woodbury, tornado, hugo