By David Wesley
You can break a bad habit, you can take a break, or you can break a board to help others! What? That last option is what the American Martial Arts students and staff did in a big way. Richard Higgins, the owner and Senior Chief Instructor at American Martial Arts, offered to help the Rotary Club of the Emerald Coast raise money for the Rotary Youth Camp of North Florida. American Martial Arts asked the students to raise money by securing pledges for each board broken (the Tae Kwon Do students know how to focus their power and literally break boards in half with a hand or foot blow). Thus the 2022 Break-A-Thon in April was born. The students, as well as the members of the Rotary Club, understood the importance of the event as the funds were to benefit the Rotary Youth Camp of North Florida. This camp provides a free week away camp experience for children and young adults with disabilities in a safe and caring environment. Campers have the opportunity to make new friends, explore outdoor life, meet new challenges and increase their self-confidence. The Rotary Youth Camp of North Florida is funded entirely by donations and fund-raising efforts of area Rotary Clubs. You can learn more about the camp at www.rycnf.org.
On April 2, the event literally kicked off with a demonstration by Richard Higgins. After stacking up four boards and dousing them with lighter fluid the boards were set on fire. Richard Higgins skillfully broke the flaming array with one kick and the event began. Students of all ages rushed to see how many boards they could break before time was called. The younger students worked with special break-away boards while older students broke regular squares of boards being held by volunteers or staff. The members of the Rotary Club of the Emerald Coast Rotary Community Corps called Special Ops, a group of young adults with special needs, grilled and assisted the Rotary Club in preparing and serving a free lunch. For almost two hours the students put their Tae Kwon Do skills to work. Cheered on by the staff, family and friends, Rotarians in attendance, and their fellow students, they broke 527 boards in one hour. So, with all the broken boards and lunch donations how much money was raised you ask? The answer is an incredible $3,500 for the Rotary Youth Camp of North Florida! If you know a student at American Martial Arts please congratulate them on a job well done. To learn more about American Martial Arts go to www.americanmartialarts.us, for more about the Rotary Club of the Emerald Coast or Special Ops send an email to ecrotarypcb@gmail.com.
