Tae Kwon Do Times — January 2018

and well behaved all of the children were. At

the end of the day, I was very committed to

making Kicking For Miracles an annual event.

TKDT: How did the event

evolve over time?

GM Chong: As our schools grew from one to

fi ve locations and from hundreds to thousands

of students, Kicking For Miracles participation

increased as well. We believe that our events

only continue to grow if the students have a

world-class experience, so we made adjustments

each year to improve it. Over time we

increased from 1,000 to 5,000 boards, added

an instructors’ demonstration, recruited local

celebrity breakers, and even added a DJ, all to

increase student enthusiasm and enjoyment.

We also increased the size of the venue until we

reached our current location at Buff alo State

College, which provides us with fl oor space

for several hundred participants and arena

style seating for several thousand spectators

Over the last decade, the KFM really started

to grow. We started averaging several hundred

participants and annual fundraising totals of

over $50,000. In 2015 over 600 participants

raised a record-setting $75,000. Th at was the

year that we broke the cumulative million

dollar mark in fundraising for the hospital.

TKDT: What currently happens

on the day of the event?

GM Chong: We begin by bowing in and

warming up just like a standard Tae Kwon Do

class. However, the energy and enthusiasm are

exceptionally high, since it involves hundreds of

students. We then section off into diff erent lines

based on belt rank. Dozens of instructors serve

as holders and group board breaking begins.

It is amazing to watch as literally hundreds of

boards are broken every few minutes by students

of all levels. After about an hour, we have a

“halftime show” that consists of the instructors’

demonstration, celebrity (local politician, news

personality, athlete) board breaking and, of

course, the check presentation and announcement

of that year’s fund raising grand totals. One of

the most emotional moments of the halftime

presentation is a speech by the family of a

“miracle child” (a long-term patient at the

hospital) and watching that miracle child break

a board. It is a moving testimony to everyone in

attendance of why this event is so important.

TKDT: What are the benefi ts

of doing an event like this?

GM Chong: I consider it a “Win-Win-Win”

scenario. Our students get to experience the

feeling of deep satisfaction that comes from

32 January 2018 / taekwondotimes.com