Five Rings Jiu Jitsu is proud to announce its 3rd annual Grapple-A-Thon for a great cause. Our mission is to inspire health, wellness, and growth in our members and our community through grappling, fitness, and service. We were truly amazed at the outpouring of support we received for our 2nd annual event last summer, but we know we can do even more this year… with your help!
On September 22nd , 2018, grapplers and their supporters will gather at our main academy to raise money for our fantastic charity partner – Friends of the Children - Portland.
Friends commits to standing alongside our community’s youth as they work to overcome barriers to their success. Each child receives one-on-one support and guidance from a salaried, professional mentor, from kindergarten through high school graduation – 12 and a half years, no matter what. Youth in the Friends program face considerable challenges, including placement in the foster care system, under-resourced neighborhood schools, homelessness, hunger, and disparities in access to and quality of health care. Despite these barriers, program youth enter adulthood with strong foundations for continuing achievement: 83% graduate high school or earn a GED, 93% avoid the juvenile justice system, and 98% avoid teen parenting. In 2015 and 2016, Friends was voted the #1 most admired non-profit in Oregon in the Portland Business Journal’s survey of Oregon CEOs.
Schedule for the Day:
Our schedule for the day is as follows:
8:00 – 9:45 am Youth (3 – 12 years old specifically) Grapple-a-Thon / Games / Play / kid-focused lead by LIT’s
10:00 am – 12:45 pm All age Grapple-a-Thon (5 min rounds of Joy Jitsu / first 28 rounds)
12:45 – 1:15 pm Official GAT Presentation
- FotC + Five Rings Jiu Jitsu acknowledgment
- Sponsors and prizes
- Acknowledgement of outside academies participation
- Photo op.
- BBQ / Lunch in the parking lot
- Mat cleaning1:15 – 5:30 pm
1:15 – 5:30 pm All age Grapple-a-Thon (5 min rounds of Joy Jitsu / rounds 29 - 70)
Donation Info:
There are many ways to contribute to this event, but we strongly encourage everyone to use the following link so that you and any friends/family can contribute directly to Friends of the Children:
Donation and Sponsorship Link - Click HERE
We also welcome corporate sponsorship and matching funds from employers of participants. If your business or a business owner you know is interested in sponsoring this event, the reward levels are:
$250- $499 Blue Belt Level (company name added to poster)
$500- $749 Purple Belt Level (Blue Belt + company name added to T-Shirt)
$750- $999 Brown Belt Level (Purple Belt + company name added to Banner)
$1000+ Black Belt Level Sponsor (Brown Belt + featured mention during GAT Half Time Presentation)
All sponsorships can be donated through the link above or by contacting Coach Dan at dvd@5rjj.com or calling 503-327-8265.
Matching donations from employers at the above amounts will be considered a sponsor, if the employer so chooses.
Donation Total (as of 9/9/18): $4,638 / 46 supports + 21 grapplers registered.
Event Sponsors:
- Advantis Credit Union
- BJJ Library
- Edward Wadsworth for Hair
- Gameness
- Liberty Events / The Revolution Tournaments
- Saskia Lippy General Psychiatry / Psychoanalysis
- Standard Insurance
Prizes:
- Grand Prize: 1 year membership to BJJ Library
- Grand Prize: 1 year adult registration at the Revolution Tournaments (Nov. 2018, March 2019, July 2019)
- Grand Prize: 1 year youth registration at the Revolution Tournaments (Nov. 2018, March 2019, July 2019)
- Gift Certificate at Edward Wadsworth for Hair ($150 value)
- Give Certificates (2) for Knife & Tool Sharpening ($30 value)
- OSS Gear Package ($200 value)
Social Media Sharing Resource:
Please feel free to use the attachment included with this article to share on your social media pages to encourage donations - it includes much of the information above plus more!
Friends of the Children Program Success Story!
For the past year, Five Rings has been able to connect over 50 children with our martial art as part of the Friends of the Children program at their Rockwood location. Coach Dan, Professor Tom, Coach Sarah and Coach Matt have shared the discipline and skills of jiu jitsu with at risk youngsters and to call it anything but a rousing success would be an understatement. Thanks to the generosity of our community, kids have found a passion for self defense and anti-bullying instruction. They have the stability of a weekly place to come together and learn valuable life skills. Our sponsors have helped us provide uniforms and mats to help make the program successful.
Our goal is to expand the activity so that even more youth can engage, so your continued support means everything to us! Let's make this year even better than the last.
We've set our fundraising sights on $20,000 this year and we believe that with your help with can reach that lofty goal!!!
