Hi everyone,

Recently, my son Neil was given the great honor of being invited as a member of the Amerikick Karate National Team, one of the top competitive sport martial arts organizations in the country. This opportunity has been something he has dreamed of and worked for over the last ten years. As a member of the team, he will have the chance to travel all over the country competing with and against athletes from different backgrounds and experiences.

Some of the places he will get to travel to this season will be Atlanta, Georgia, Miami, Florida, Atlantic City, New Jersey, Chicago, Illinois, and Washington, D.C.

As you can imagine, preparing for and getting to these competitions takes a lot of time. Neil started his journey with Martial Arts when he was 7 years old. He went to practice 2 to 3 nights a week and spent a few summers attending martial arts summer camps. Now, at age 17, he is a second-degree black belt. He also works part-time at the dojo he grew up in, training new and upcoming martial artists and helping them begin their journey. It took a lot of time, hard work, and perseverance to get where he is today.

As we all know, saving money has been difficult in this economy. My husband and I both work full-time jobs. When I learned that Neil had this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I worried about how I was going to pay for it all so I went out and got a second job and it has helped. I put together a budget and have been able to put money aside for him each week. But today, my husband received a notice from his job that he will be laid off effective immediately! I have nowhere near enough money saved for all these competitions. I don't have the heart to tell him he may not be able to do this.

This is very hard for us as we don't like putting our personal business out there for all to see but this is so very important to Neil. Please consider helping Neil get to these competitions. I know this may seem like a lot to ask for but trust me, your investment will not go to waste. I feel it will be a great life experience for him and it's been something he's been working for since he was 7 years old. Thank you in advance for all of your help and support. He will be attending a competition this weekend in Atlantic City. I will post updates of Neil here and on my Facebook page. Neil is also working on putting together an Instagram page. So when that is up, we will let you all know so that you can follow him there as well.

With love and gratitude,

Dana Gladwin