During the last month of 2016, we held our annual holiday gift drive to benefit Children’s Hospital Colorado. A big part of what we do as a martial arts school goes beyond physical training. We strive to to foster community stewardship and cultivate an environment where our staff and students can do good things for their broader communities. Whether it’s picking up trash in our beautiful Colorado parks or raising awareness of mental health issues, we’re training not only to be good martial artists, but good people. We’re incredibly fortunate to have members and staff who are so caring and committed to helping others, and this holiday gift drive was no exception.
The Easton academies have been collecting donated gifts for Children’s Hospital Colorado every December for several years, and we’re always floored by the outpouring of generosity we see. Throughout the month, members of our community brought in toys, games, books, and other gifts on the hospital’s wish list. These presents are things frequently requested by kids who are being treated at the hospital, and the purpose of the hospital’s gift drive is to lessen the financial burden of the holidays on families who are already struggling with a child’s illness.
This year, between our schools, we were able to give roughly $4000 worth of gifts to children in the hospital. Thank you all so much for being a part of this effort! For many of these families, 2016 was undoubtedly an incredibly difficult year, and it’s good to know that we may have provided them with a small measure of relief during the holiday season.