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19th ANNUAL KSK GALA & TENNIS EVENT
This year marked the 19th Annual KICKSTART KIDS Gala & Tennis Event. This event is held once a year in Houston to raise funds for the organization in order to provide martial arts and character education to at-risk middle school students. The event features a live and silent auction, performances by KSK students, testimonials and speeches from sponsors, alumni, and students.
With deep gratitude to our donors, their support helped this year's event raise over $600,000 in funds. These donations will be used to expand and fortify the organization's current school programs.
Before guests were served dinner they were treated to a performance by the Stevenson Middle School Demo Team led by instructor Derrick Gutierrez. The demo team showcased their skills in martial arts and their strict discipline in regards to their synchronization and form.
This evening KICKSTART KIDS recognized two individuals for their continued support of the organization. The Annual Team Spirit award was presented to two very special individuals, Mr. and Mrs. Bill & Sherry Berry.
After being wowed by the KSK Demo Team the guests witnessed a pay-it-forward moment by KICKSTART KIDS alumni, Chelsey Clark. Ms. Clark had personally raised the sum of $586 over the last year in order to sponsor a child in KICKSTART KIDS. After hearing this amazing feat, multiple guests stepped forward to sponsor a child. In total, 47 individuals chipped in to donate $44k which can support 72 children in the program. Ms. Clark is a black belt alumni that competes on the City Wide Demo Team and TEAM KICKSTART while she aspires to advance her martial arts training as well as pursuing a degree in art and languages and eventually wants to become a KSK instructor.
Guests also witnessed an inspirational testimonial by Katie LeGate, a Jr. High student that has advanced through the KICKSTART KIDS program and shared her story of overcoming personal struggles by using the teachings of martial arts. Ms. LeGate told the audience that she was able to accomplish more than she had ever dreamed because of KICKSTART KIDS. The following day, guests attended the Annual Tennis Event which featured tennis celebrities, Anand and Vijay Amritraj along with Gene Malin and Nicolas Croon. The two tennis brothers competed in a doubles match against Gene and Nicolas. KICKSTART KIDS would like to thank the Galleria Tennis and Athletic Club for provided their facilities and personnel for the event as well as Paul Christian for hosting the festivities. Guests were also entertained by the Garcia, Stevenson, and Houston City Wide Demo Teams.
KICKSTART KIDS would like to thank everyone involved in this amazing weekend and look forward to next year's event.
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FRANK'S INTL. DONATES $50K THROUGH CRAWFISH BOIL
Long time KICKSTART KIDS supporter, Frank's International, held its 28th annual OTC Crawfish Boil on Tuesday, May 3rd. Guests were asked to donate funds to KICKSTART KIDS in exchange for an evening full of crawfish and entertainment. The evening featured a live Cajun band and performances from KICKSTART KIDS' Landrum Middle School and Houston City Wide Demo Teams.
We are so proud of our customers and area supporters for helping us with this effort," said Keith Mosing, Chairman and CEO. "KICKSTART KIDS is a wonderful program and we are happy to contribute to the positive impact they are making in children's lives." Mr. Mosing along with his staff presented the donation check of $50,000 to Tammy Benefiel, KICKSTART KIDS' Houston Area Community Development Manager.
KICKSTART KIDS has been the beneficiary of the Frank's International Crawfish Boil for 10 years. This year's event hosted 1,700 attendees and served a total of 13,000 pounds of Louisiana crawfish.
Frank's International provides the broadest range of tubular technologies for drilling and completions worldwide. Frank's International has its roots in the entrepreneurial spirit and legacy of "Mr. Frank" Mosing, who established Frank's Casing Crew & Rental Tools in 1938. Managed and owned by over three generations of Mosings, Frank's has continued to grow and excel by meeting the challenges and exceeding the expectations of an ever-evolving oil and gas industry. In 1981 Donald Keith Mosing formed Frank's International (FI), a separate and independent company, and expanded the business across North America and into South America, Asia, Africa and Europe. Today, the two companies cooperate in a strategic alliance. FI now operates plants, offices and manufacturing facilities in more than 40 countries world-wide.
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SPRING TOURNAMENTS & CEREMONIES
Spring is one of the busiest times of the year for KICKSTART KIDS. This Spring of 2012 was no exception to the rule. Students were busy preparing for tournaments, belt ceremonies, demo team performances, in-school testing; all while anticipating the end of the school year.
This past Spring students competed in the Houston City Qualifier as well as the State Championships. The Houston City Qualifier was held at Dulles Middle School and featured students from local area Houston schools competing for a spot at the State Championship which was held the following month.
The State Championships were held at Stevenson Middle School in Houston and featured 365 KICKSTART KIDS students from across the state of Texas. Every student that competed in the State Championship first had to place at the City Qualifier as well as the City Championship to be eligible. We are very proud of all of our KICKSTART KIDS students.
Spring also marks the second round of belt ceremonies for students earning new belt ranks. Parents, school faculty and friends that joined us at the belt ceremony witnessed the student's hard work and sacrifice over the past year.
Grand Master and Mrs. Norris attended 5 of the Spring Belt Ceremonies and were able to witness the program and the students in action on each of these campuses.
In Galveston, at Central Middle School, the Mayor of the City was in attendance in order to proclaim May 10th, 2012 as KICKSTART KIDS Day on the island of Galveston.
If you would like to attend or possibly even help sponsor a belt ceremony in your area please contact us at kickstartkids.org or give us a call at (713) 868-6003. |
TEAM KICKSTART
TEAM KICKSTART is a competitive martial arts team consisting of advanced students, instructors and alumni from the KICKSTART KIDS organization. These members qualify for the team through a rigorous trial process in order to represent KICKSTART KIDS to the martial arts community of the world.
The 2012 TEAM KICKSTART trial period has included 7 tournaments and over 50 competitors hoping to snag a coveted spot on the Regional, National, and International teams. Learn more about TEAM KICKSTART at www.facebook.com/teamkickstart.
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KSK AREA UPDATES
CENTRAL TEXAS FROM PAM OWENS
 The Central Texas Team wishes to extend a warm welcome to our new City Leader Warren Scott. Warren brings a wealth of knowledge and talent and will be the perfect addition to the team. A big thank you goes out to all of our parents who have tirelessly volunteered for our tournaments and events throughout the year. A special mention goes to Rebecca Doty who organized parent volunteers and played a big role in logistics and planning for our events. Central Texas is gearing up for the summer karate program as well as a focus on instructor training and development. In addition, plans are underway for a special fundraising event in the Bryan/College Station area being planned for November. If you are interested in becoming more involved with KICKSTART KIDS in the Central Texas area, please contact: Pam Owens at: 512-989-7950 or by email at: powens@kickstartkids.org.
NORTH TEXAS
FROM MARISSA LEACH  The North Texas Community Advisory Board is currently reviewing its goals and action plan by developing a self-sustaining model for KSK. Kevin Mitchell, North Texas' Community Advisory Board Chairman, and I have been meeting with each member individually for their feedback and level of commitment. Each member has a unique area of expertise that we hope to match with their area of interest. We are very excited about the results to date and we look forward to the impact we are sure to make in the future.
We are very excited about our student's success at our year-end belt ceremonies. Thank-you so much for your support!! Please contact Marissa Leach for more information: mleach@kickstartkids.org or by phone at:214-704-7333. GREATER HOUSTON FROM TAMMY BENEFIEL  On May 26th the Houston area had a second fundraiser which was held at Constellation Field in Sugar Land at the Skeeters baseball game. The KSK Citywide Demo Team gave a stellar performance on the field just before the game began. One of the Skeeters staff members approached me shortly after the performance and said that the students were "truly amazing and captivating". The Citywide Demo Team has been extremely gracious attending several events in the past year, dedicating their time and talents to help support our mission and raise awareness for our cause. Thank you so much Citywide, we appreciate you! KSK is to receive 50% of all dedicated KSK tickets sold at the Skeeters game. I saw a lot of KSK t-shirts representing us throughout the ballpark. A big thank you to all of the parents and students that came to support us.
Please contact Tammy Benefiel for more information: tbenefiel@kickstartkids.org or by phone at: 832-230-6433 |
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