Martial Arts Fundraiser
Grand Master Seung Dong and a class at his main studio on West Broad Street (Photo by Tharon Giddens)
Simple ideas can grow into powerful propositions.
That concept is exemplified by two recent charity fundraisers in Richmond. One has netted half a million dollars for the Children’s Hospital Foundation over 21 years. The other is just in its third year, but has raised more than $56,000 for the adaptive sports program at the McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Dong’s Martial Arts Tournament has been raising funds for 21 years for the Children’s Hospital Foundation, which in turn supports the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. Grandmaster Seung Dong marked the 46th anniversary for the event June 3 at Douglas Freeman High School in Henrico, raising $42,017 to push its overall total to $505,000.
Dong says he became involved in the fundraiser to mark its 25th anniversary, as a way to “do something memorable for the community.” Giving of oneself is a tenet of Grandmaster Dong's karate schools, which have four campuses in the metro area, a school in Staunton and two more in North Carolina.
The Ride for Operation Rise & Conquer is sponsored by VAMAC, a plumbing, well and septic supply business based in Richmond. It was their third fundraiser; their first in 2015 was in conjunction with the business’s centennial, says Jim Hawes, a vice president for the company.
The inaugural event netted $7,500, which went to the Adaptive Sports Center in Colorado. They decided to keep it local the following year and contacted McGuire, and decided to help fund the local VA’s adaptive sports. The 2016 event drew 108 riders and raised $16,500. For this year’s ride, held May 6, they partnered with other groups and had 282 riders and raised more than $40,000.
McGuire’s adaptive sports program relies on donations. It offers an array of sports experiences for veterans with permanent, cognitive and psychological disabilities. More than 100 veterans participate each year in sports and activities including pool, indoor and outdoor cycling, disc golf and golf, archery, weightlifting, basketball, and kayaking.
Mark your calendars for May 5, 2018, when the fourth ride is set to occur. The goal is 400 riders.
“This is our way of giving back and helping those that protect us,” says Hawes.
Aortic valve replacement study underway
As you age, you face a greater likelihood of your heart’s aortic valve narrowing and becoming obstructed. This puts a strain on the heart, and can lead to pain, shortness of breath and heart failure. The only fix is a replacement of the valve, and in the past that meant open heart surgery, according to Scott Lim of the Bon Secours Heart and Vascular Institute.
More recently, a less-invasive procedure has come into use that allows replacement of the valve via a catheter instead of open heart surgery. It can cut recovery time in half.
The procedure has been approved in the more severe cases of blockage, but a study is underway to determine whether it’s a viable option for younger, healthier people, in their 50s and 60s and who are otherwise healthy, according to Dr. Lim. Bon Secours St. Mary’s is one of the sites for the study, in collaboration with the University of Virginia.
Dr. Lim says that the procedure has proven effective and poses minimal risks in the older, high-risk groups. In older patients undergoing open heart surgery for the valve replacement, recovery generally involves six days in the hospital, then three or four weeks of recovery at home. Insertion via the catheter cuts recovery by half.
There are about 40 sites across the nation enrolled in the study. St. Mary’s is the only site in Central Virginia. About 1,500 patients are expected to be enrolled overall; Dr. Lim says about 30 to 40 participants locally would be a good turnout. The trial at St. Mary’s involves the CoreValve Evolut R System. It is usually inserted through a leg artery and guided into the heart, assuming the function of the valve, according to a release. The study locally is led by Dr. Mark Bladergroen and Dr. Lim.
Participants will be assigned at random for the trans catheter procedure or open heart surgery. Applicants will be reviewed to determine eligibility. The study will enroll participants for about 18 months, and participants will be followed over a decade.
Learn more at 804-287-7843.
