Tae Kwon do is a martial art, oriented mainly to one’s defense, but, as with any martial skill, it can equip the practitioner with some skills that can be fatal.
Cancer, a killer disease, one which is not curable - at least for now- a disease which is painful not only for its sufferers, but also for those who love its victims.
These two vastly different phenomena are interestingly linked within the framework of the annual “Kicks for Cancer” fundraiser, organized by Dave Hargreaves of Dual Dragons Tae Kwon Do School in Stettler.
As part of the annual event, which is now in its seventh year, the students of the Dual Dragons school, who come from Stettler, Castor and Coronation, will be collecting pledges until April 6 when the event gets underway and lasts until April 9.
The pledges will be awarding the students for their kicks against cancer: each student will be kicking for two minutes (one minute per leg), as fast as they can, from the floor to above the belt, as many times as they can - a painful and exhausting task to say the least.
As part of their support to the campaign to fight cancer, some students will also have their heads shaved.
Interestingly enough, Dave Hargreaves says he started to organize the annual kicks- for-cancer event one year before his father was diagnosed with stomach cancer.
“Thankfully my father survived his cancer,” said Hargreaves.
“I shaved my head for him and it seems to be popular thing to get heads shaved for this cause.”
“We have raised an average of $3,000 to $4,000 every year so far,” said Hargreaves.
How Hargreaves was motivated to start Kicks-for Cancer is quite an interesting story:
“My instructor from Camrose and I thought it was time to do something more for the community. So we thought of doing this fundraiser.”
But how does Tae Kwon Do relate to cancer?
“I think the way we put is this: A warrior defends not only himself, but others as well. A warrior’s job is to protect himself, but also those in the community and in the country.”
“Raising money for fighting cancer is a way of growing a bigger sense of belonging to a community.”
Having two children in their third year of Tae Kwon Do training, and being inspired by Hargreaves’ commitment to fighting cancer by hosting the annual fundraiser, parents Sandy and Kevin Clark have decided to get involved this year by electing to shave their heads in conjunction with Dual Dragons’ Kicks-For-Cancer.
They will be donating their hair to Angel Hair For Kids, a Canadian not-for-profit organization that relies on donations of hair to make wigs for children.
“To us it’s just hair,” say the Clarks, “but to a child without any, it’s self-esteem and a little bit of normality.”
This year’s theme of the event is ‘cancers below the belt’, a fitting title as the belt is significant in Tae Kwon Do to identify rank and ability of the student.
The term ‘below the belt’ refers to cancers of organs and body parts literally, below the belt.
In their research, the Clarks found that in 2006, the latest year with completed statistics, a total of 5540 Albertans were diagnosed with various forms of “below the belt” cancer and 1480 of them lost their lives. The highest number of cases were prostate (2,100 diagnosed -330 deceased) and colorectal cancers (1590 diagnosed-650 deceased).
The Clarks will also be collecting pledges for the Canadian Cancer Society, and strive to raise awareness of cancers ‘below the belt’ as well.
“We live in such a great community,” say the Clarks, speaking of their Tae Kwon Do family and of Stettler, which they have called home for nearly three years now.
“It was important for us to give back in a way that honors so many who have been affected by cancer.”
The Clarks, who will be having their heads shaved April 8th at 5:30 pm, are encouraging the community to pledge their support to Kicks-For-Cancer participants by donating to the cause, and invite all to visit Dual Dragons Tae Kwon Do during April 6 to 9.