To Ichibankarate, a big part of being a good karate-ka (student of karate) is doing service to our community.  Throughout the years, we have participated in programs assisting groups from all over.  We welcome ideas for future community outreach programs.  If you have an organization you would like to help and need some volunteers, please contact us at info@ichibankarate.com  

Silent Auction
On February 11, 2012 Ichibankarate held a Dessert Social and Silent Auction to raise money for TKFI families in need.  Some of our Ichibankarate families donated baskets of goods and service items for everyone to place bids. Throughout the evening’s events, which included singing, dancing and board breaking, members placed bids on the items.   At the end of the evening, we collected a little over $2000.00 dollars which was distributed to various families throughout our TKFI organization.

 Dogi (Uniform)

Students and families of Ichibankarate organized a dogi drive in response to a need within our Saito-ha Shito-Ryu karate-do family.  The students in the Brazilian dojo do not have enough or adequate dogis for their student body so Ichibankarate students reached into their closets and collected 49 dogis, 13 pieces of gear and 67 belts for our Brazilian family.  Unfortunately, these dogis are very heavy and we were not able to find an affordable way to ship the collected items to Brazil. 
Later, some of the Brazilians were able to make it to the United States for the 2010 TKFI Nationals.  We then donated suit cases and collected money to pay the extra baggage fees so they could carry the dogis back to Brazil with them.  A very Happy Ending
!

Coat Drive

In 2010 Ichibankarate family and friends donated 22 coats to Assisting Young Mothers (AYM) and The Alternative House for abused and homeless children.  At the beginning of 2011, Ichibankarate donated 53 coats!
At AYM, young women receive counseling, shelter, life skills training, parenting education, and job readiness training to help them become nurturing parents and successful members of the community.  AYM strives to promote self-sufficiency and nurturing parenting, and to prevent child abuse and stop the cycle of teen pregnancy.



St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
On both November 3, 2012 and November 13, 2010, Ichibankarate students participated in a KARATE-A-THON to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.  In 2012 Students completed over 280 punches and strikes, 270 kicks and 53 different kata in two hours. In 2010, Students completed over 240 punches, 210 Kicks and 43 different kata in two hours.  The students were able to help St. Jude Children's Research Hospital find new treatments for childhood cancer and other catastrophic diseases by raising over $2,900.00 for this worthy cause!

Food Drive

Ichibankarate has now completed three food drives for the Interfaith Relief of Loudoun County.  In 2009 Ichibankarate teamed with the Jain Group of Washington D.C. and collected 189 lbs of food. In 2010 Ichibankarate collected 101 lbs of food and in 2013 we collected 204 lbs. Thanks to all Ichibankarate families, students, and friends for supporting this great cause!

Pennies for Peace

Ichibankarate collected and donated $404.02 to the Pennies for Peace program of Central Asia Institute (CAI). With proceeds from donations by students from around the world, CAI has built, to date, nearly 100 schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which serve more than 28,000 students - over 14,000 of whom are girls.  The students are encouraged to collect pennies where in the villages of Pakistan and Afghanistan, a penny can buy a pencil, start an education, and transform a life. In a region where terrorist organizations recruit uneducated, illiterate children, that pencil can empower a child to read, write, and learn.