You’d Better Watch Out — Santa’s Helpers Know Karate
BOSTON, Mass., December 20, 2006 – During the month of December, karate students from Boston’s Emerald Necklace Budo Martial Arts (http://www.karateinboston.com/) collected over 100 toys and donated them through the Marine Corps Reserve's “Toys for Tots” program. The students recently delivered the toys to the State Police barracks in Allston/Brighton, a designated Toys for Tots drop-off site.
Laura Troyani, a karate student at the Emerald Necklace dojo (karate school), organized the toy drive. “I never questioned that people would be willing to donate toys for the dojo collection,” Troyani says. “However, I was pleasantly surprised to see the amounts and quality of the toys that individuals donated. Many people not only brought more than one toy for the collection, but also clearly took time to think about what would actually be a fun and exciting toy for a child to receive.”
The students at Emerald Necklace Budo Martial Arts regularly participate in community service activities as part of their Black Belt training. In order to earn their Brown Belts, students at the dojo are required to conceive of, plan, and lead their own community service project. Other projects recently launched by Brown Belt candidates include developing a free self-defense program for women, organizing a day of service at an urban food pantry, and participating in a home renovation project to help house Boston’s elderly homeless.
“Were a very small karate school with a very big heart,” says Jason Gould, Dojo Director and Chief Instructor. “It was heartwarming to see the pile of toys growing in the dojo, and even more gratifying when we bagged them up and delivered them for the kids. I’m very proud of what my students have accomplished outside of the training hall.”