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Health & Fitness

Novato Community Helps Disadvantaged Kids Get Athletic with NovatoSpirit

The Novato community has kindly helped low-income kids get athletic scholarships with NovatoSpirit

Happily, NovatoSpirit now has 35 kids in our athletic scholarship program—an increase of 13 kids since February of last year!  This is a miracle for us, in light of the fact that the economy is still floundering and it is increasingly difficult for folks to give and keep on giving. 

Thank you Novato for giving us this miracle, enabling youth to experience the joy and healthful effects of movement. All 35 youth are enjoying their activities in karate, tae kwon do, dance and soccer.  And they’re not just moving, they’re learning.  Kids are taught Japanese in karate class, and Korean at their tae kwon do school; and both martial arts traditions are faithful to physical practices that developed in 6thcentury China.  So the kids are having fun within a great Asian historical tradition.

Our dance students are learning how to perform professionally.  Twice a year, many NovatoSpirit students perform at the Marin County Civic Center Auditorium with their Love 2 Dance friends.  Tara-Caprice Broadwater, owner of Love 2 Dance, teaches each student how to move with precision, entertaining an audience of hundreds.  This is a big accomplishment for youth who are only in elementary school or beginning middle school.  Not surprisingly, dance has become NovatoSpirit’s most popular program. 

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Now we are trying to raise enough funding through our February Valentine Bake-a-thon to help one more girl get a dance scholarship.  She is in middle school, and she recently wrote us this letter:

“The reason why I want to start dancing at Love 2 Dance and be part of their ‘Family’ you would say, is because of their reputation and the way people amazingly talk about the studio.  One of the reasons why I would really want to join the studio is because of my weight issue. 
I don’t consider myself the biggest girl on the planet, but I am ‘chunky’ to say.  My personality is really outgoing.  But sometimes I get really self conscious.  Like when a kid at school bullies me by saying I’m fat, I let it get to me.  And I’m thinking and praying that by joining Love 2 Dance it will change the look of things and make me more confident thanwhat I am now.  Well, I hope I have made you guys believe that I really want this.  If I do get in, I give you the most thank you I could ever give.”

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So far we have raised $285 towards a $460 dance scholarship at Love 2 Dance through our Bake-a-thon.  If there are those of you who want to do a little fundraising from your kitchen, our Bake-a-thon lasts until the end of February.  You can sell your homebaked goodies and send us a tax-deductible check to: NovatoSpirit, 936 7th street, Suite B, PMB 236, Novato 94945.  Many thanks to those of you who have already participated!

We are also thankful for the award nomination and the gifts received this year.  NovatoSpirit was nominated for “Achievement in Nonprofit Excellence” at the annual Heart of Marin Awards ceremony in January. And we received a generous grant from Marin Charitable, a foundation based in Ross that serves low-income youth.  We also received a wonderful in-kind donation from Novato-based Ghirardo CPA, which is kindly preparing our tax return pro bono.  Additionally, we were featured on a talk show hosted by Lyons Filmer, program director of KWMR 90.5 FM, a radio station based in Point Reyes Station. Thank you Lyons for spreading the word about NovatoSpirit among the airwaves of Marin County!

These gifts come at a time when low-income families in Novato continue to be shaken by layoffs, disabilities, and chronic unemployment.  And the low-income population of children and teens grows larger every day: 1 out of 3 students enrolled within Novato Unified School District (NUSD) is from an impoverished family. NUSD reports that 35% of its students receive free or reduced-price meals; this means about 2,800 youth in Novato are struggling with financial difficulties.

While weakened by economic conditions, NovatoSpirit kids are strengthened by your goodwill. Here is what one NovatoSpirit student wrote about her dance scholarship: “In the past year, Love 2 Dance has helped me a lot.  I would love to dance ‘till I’m 18 years old.  Dance is the best thing that can ever happen to me.  Dance is my dream that no one can take away.”

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