Novato Residents are Generous Despite Recession

Folks in Novato are modest, and probably would not admit that they are generous to others.  But they are. And they continuously contribute to the well-being of many low-income families during the holidays, despite the recession.  They give to nonprofits in town, to bell-ringers outside stores, and make time to donate food and clothing. This all adds up to good news for everyone.

One nonprofit that is benefiting from Novato’s goodwill is NovatoSpirit, which
offers athletic scholarships for karate, dance, tae kwon do and soccer to impoverished youth here. I have the good fortune of serving as the director of NovatoSpirit, and I would like to share some news about our NovatoSpirit scholarship recipients.

For our karate kids, the holiday season began with colored ribbons and shining medals, which they earned at the Karate Tournament hosted by Mr. Robert Ito. The children were excited about performing in this tournament, which was particularly significant, as it honored Mr. Ito’s friend and mentor, Great Grandmaster Ming Lum, who recently passed away. Known as the “Godfather of Kung Fu” in the Bay Area and Hawaii, Ming Lum guided many martial arts
masters, including the famed Bruce Lee. 

Other NovatoSpirit students are enjoying their time in tae kwon do.  One girl, who was born with lung problems, expressed her joy: “Right now we are learning harder kicks and I am doing Tenge 3 so I am at the third level of Tenge.  We practice it every class and we also do push ups and sit ups.  I am not so good at the push ups, but I can do a lot of sit ups and I can keep up my energy for the whole class.  I think it helps with my asthma and breathing issues, because the longer I have taken Master O’s class, the less I cough when I do physical things.  My lungs feel stronger and my arms and legs even look stronger.”

The NovatoSpirit dance students at are practicing hard, preparing for their winter recital.  One girl wrote, “I would like you to know that I feel great when I dance.  I enjoy it so much and I also like my teachers. My life has improved, because I love dancing and performing the dance with the group and that is how my dedication and practice are improving my life.”

Soon, the indoor soccer season will begin at the . One boy shared his enthusiasm for his first year of soccer last year: “I learned how to be a goalie and I played defense.  It made me feel good when I was able to catch the ball and not let the other team make a goal.  The coach was really nice and was always fair.  He was helpful when you didn’t understand and always motivated me to do my best.  Soccer improved my health, making me more muscular, and teaching me that regular exercise is important for my health.”  

So far this year, we have awarded athletic scholarships to 34 youths, and many Novato residents have made this possible.  I can’t thank you all enough for the happiness and increased fitness you have provided for these extremely low-income kids. 

You have also given hope to their parents.  One mother, who had just received a
NovatoSpirit dance scholarship award in the mail for her girl, called to say,
“I want you to know how much we appreciate this.  You know, when I filled out the scholarship forms, I didn’t really think anything would happen.  But something actually did happen!  And my daughter received her scholarship, coincidentally, on her birthday.  Thank you!”

I also wish to thank those of you who read Movement for Kids: The Story of
NovatoSpirit, which was written to honor our seventh anniversary this year.  Some of you have told me that you purchased copies of this book on Amazon.com for holiday gifts.  Thank you for spreading the word about NovatoSpirit!