Dear Friends of JamminBJJ and Give the Gift of a Gi,
The start of a new year provides us an opportunity to
reflect on the year gone by – to celebrate our successes and learn from our
challenges.
JamminBJJ has much to reflect on from 2014, many people to
thank, and more projects on the horizon. This is a bit long, but we got a lot done!
Our biggest undertaking in 2014 was bringing Top Brother
athlete, Luciano Mariano, to the US from Japeri, RDJ, Brazil to compete at the
World Championships. Luciano is a blue belt, double-arm amputee and fierce BJJ
fighter. [There are other blog stories about Luciano and the details of this
endeavor] Luciano’s life-changing experience was made possible through the
assistance of many people and organizations; we received a travel grant from The Challenged Athlete Foundation; a new gi, gear, housing and tournament
registration provided by Kerstin Pakter and Hyperfly; training and generous
support from coach James Foster, Foster Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (FBJJ), and Giva Santana, Lotus Club Irvine; and coaching, training and supervision by coach
Jean Carlos Freitas. Javier Villalpando at Revolver MMA designed an impressive
and popular commemorative tee-shirt. We would also like to thank Gracie
Magazine, BJJ Legends magazine and BJJPaperweight for the wonderful interviews,
stories and publicity about Luciano’s trip.
Since we began in October 2012, JamminBJJ has delivered over
1500 pounds of donated gis to Brazilian athletes of all ages who have limited
resources. While a few of these gis have made their way to Brazil via the
postal service, the majority have been taken to Brazil by myself, teammates
(Ian Wood, FBJJ) and athletes who have traveled to the US to compete and who
are associated with favela gyms we have served. One of the successes of 2014 was the
fine-tuning of this distribution network. Jean Carlos Freitas deserves an extra
shout-out here as our international liaison and chief translator. There are
still glitches to work out and unreliable communication is a big hindrance.
Most athletes traveling from Brazil do not have cell phone or internet access
in the US.
2014 brought us a steady flow of gi donations and some new
collaborations. FBJJ, Straight Blast Gym Seattle, Madeline Holden and Kris Shaw
were all active donor-collectors of gis. We also continued to receive gis in
the mail from all over the US. For those of you who use a mail service or don’t
include a return address – Thank you – your donations are appreciated and we
would send a card to you if we could. One of largest and most surprising
donations of gis came in October from Submission Fight Co. They donated 100 new
gis and most of them are already in Brazil. The gyms that received these gis
were overwhelmed and very thankful. Most of the recipients never owned a gi,
let alone a new one. There are photos
and video from athletes and coaches who benefited on the JamminBJJ website and
Facebook page.
In November DeuS Fight Co assisted us in sponsoring five Top
Brother athletes with limitations to participate in the CBPJJ (para-jiu-jitsu)
tournament in Sao Paulo. One of these athletes was Luciano – who medaled in his
division and the open [photos at JamminBJJ.org and on Facebook]. DeuS Fight wrote
a lovely and informative blog story about this collaboration. You can find it
at DeuSFight.com.
What’s in store for 2015? Of course we will continue to
collect and distribute gi donations and sponsor young athletes in Brazil and
the US to compete. We hope to continue providing monetary contributions that
make food and simple gifts available to children at Easter and Christmas in
Brazil. We are always open to new ideas and collaborations – talk to us.
I have to personally acknowledge and thank a gentleman,
Abdulkader Ahmed for a gift that will make a tremendous positive impact on my
ability to do the work of JamminBJJ this year. I met Abdulkader in 2013 at the
United Airlines ticket counter when my son, Carson, and I were headed to Brazil
with a cart full of large bags full of donated gis. Abdulkader asked what we
were up to and I shared with him a flyer about Give the Gift of a Gi and we
talked about JamminBJJ’s mission. Abdulkader waived our baggage fees which
would have been several hundred dollars. An angel at check-in, that could have
been the end of it, but he contacted me through the JamminBJJ website and kept
in touch, always interested in the work we were doing. Starting January 1st,
2015, Abdulkader added me to his “friends and family” benefit to fly United so
that I can fly virtually free – anywhere. I’m still overwhelmed at this
generous gesture. He is a true example
of the kindness that exists in all people if we just take the time to smile,
share and believe in the positive energy that is available to all of us.
I’ll close by telling you of my current project. This year I
am the advisor of the Interact Club at Kentwood High School where I teach.
Interact is the high school version of Rotary International, the largest
service organization in the world. Throughout the year the students work on a
community and an international service project. As their international project,
my students have taken on the reformation of an abandoned building that has
become the gymnasium/community center for a team assisted by JamminBJJ in Campo Grande, RDJ. 250+ children a week find their way through this
building by participating in various activities, including BJJ. This abandoned
building currently has no bathrooms, just alcoves of broken pipes and garbage,
faulty wiring that hangs from the walls, a leaky roof and only well-worn puzzle
mats to sit on. The people of the neighborhood are ready to provide endless
hours of labor (most are unemployed), but there are no financial resources to
make the needed improvements. KW Interact has already concluded one successful
fundraiser and has another planned for this January! I hope to connect with a
Rotary Club close to Campo Grande and pursue cost-effective ways to get the
building materials. Now that I can travel easily to Brazil, I plan to go once
school is out and bring the raised monies and help with some of the rebuilding.
Great thanks as well to my helpers who remain mostly behind
the scenes – Mike Baltierra, webmaster
extraordinaire and Rick Geist, post-booster and cheerleader.
I went to the Bay Area for the holidays to see my family. My
parents are both healthy and active. My dad, who turned 78, took me out for a
four mile run the day I arrived. My mom does yoga, walks and paints every week
along the Peninsula with a group of other artists. My youngest son will
graduate from high school this year and my husband will retire. To keep myself
together I plan to take things one day, one project, at a time. Reflecting on a
year gone by reminds us to treasure every moment with friends and family
because time goes by too fast. I am also reminded to constantly look into my
heart and focus on what is most important. Thank you Carly for the spirit and energy
to live your legacy.