Relay Recap

On June 19th and 20th, the MTC family participated in Missoula's Relay for Life for the 2nd year in a row.



This year's team leader, Garett Hueffed, a MTC Sr. Blue belt, organized our group into a great unit of martial artists united for the cause of raising funds for cancer research.



Through the night of the 19th and early hours of the 20th our team marched around the track at Big Sky High School with 100s of other Missoulians.



Unique to our team, money was raised by selling boards to be broken in honor of those who battled or are battling cancer.



It was truly inspiring to watch the survivors and their families followed by so many other helpful souls who gathered to make a concerted effort at battling and curing the cancers that have effected so many of our lives.



We will again plan to be part of this event next year and for years to come.

from the desk of Mrs. Rosbarsky

MTC Food Drive

In September and October of 2008, the Missoula Food Bank had a 27% increase in its usership, and donations have not stepped up to match this increase.

In searching our brains for ways to give, this one seems like a no-brainer. We began our food drive with the donations from the Halloween Party and will continue through November 24th.

Items most needed are beans, rice, canned tuna, canned soup, canned beans and cereal. All nonperishable foods are welcome.

Please drop off your donations by the front desk.

From the Desk of Mrs. Rosbarsky

Hallween Party on Friday the 31st

Halloween Party

Bring 5 cans of food or $5 for the foodbank and you can join in the fun festivities. We will have a haunted house, movies and dinner will be provided.

There is a sign up sheet at the front desk for bringing goodies. 6-8pm

Relay For Life

"Aloha - Goodbye cancer forever!!!

What an awesome time we had at Relay for Life this weekend!!! I am so grateful to everyone who helped get the Relay team for Missoula Taekwondo Center together! I never could've done it alone! Special thanks to Amanda R. for getting everything started and answering about a million (give or take 10,000) questions, Kim S. for the tent, table and chairs, and also for making our buttons supporting our Taekwondo, family who are winning the fight against cancer! Thanks to Karen for bringing sunscreen and helping to decorate our base camp, Danni Kay for recruiting Megan, Allison, Josh and her mom to walk with us, to the Huntons and Tomi for their AWESOME participation, even though Tomi *just* had her wisdom teeth out! It was great to see so many people that I knew there! My chiropractor's wife was there as a survivor, my friend Renda, and Mr. Rosbarsky, senior.



Together Missoula Taekwondo Center raised $520, we had team members representing MTC on the track the entire time from the Relay start at 6 pm on Friday until 9 am the following morning - yes, nearly 16 hours on the track!!! Many folks walked around 18 miles - some more! It was an amazing, and slightly surreal thing to be walking as the sun went down (and other than a few breaks to doze off in my chair) to still be walking as it came up the next day. :)



Other than a few blisters here and there we all made it until the next morning. I ate too many of the free popsicles... oh boy! I was like a kid in a candy store - they gave out soooo many goodies!



The luminaria ceremony was very poignant. Almost everyone's life has been touched by cancer - whether you know a family member, friend, or co-worker, grandparent, spouse, yourself or your child who has battled cancer. It is very sobering to think of how intimately we all have experienced cancer. The luminarias lined the entire center of the track, and approximately 3/4 of the outside track. Walking in the twilight and seeing all the bags with the names of loved ones - these were people that were loved and cared about - the bags were beautiful - decorated elaborately, with pictures and beads, stickers, cutouts that glimmered in the candlelight...or very simply with a name or a letter to that person. To see the track lit with all those glowing bags in memoriam of someone who had or has cancer was beautiful, inspiring and also very very emotional.



One bag that got to me was from a little boy: "Grandpa, I wish you were still here so we could play trains. Mom said you always liked them. I hope you're happy in Heaven."

So touching...... Kim and I decided we liked the bags with pictures of the people smiling. Made me think of them being loved in happier times. Life IS precious!



I can't wait for next year - with the knowledge that I now have about how the event works, suggestions from my team to improve for next year, and the opportunity to spread the word to friends and family to raise even MORE funds for next year!!!!" From Captain Ruth


Slideshow

MTC to Join Relay for Life

In recent months our MTC family has been touched very profoundly by cancer. currently several of our family members are actively receiving treatment for their cancers. Most prominently MTC Black Belt and long time student, Paul Befumo, was found to have a malignant rumor in his brain which he underwent surgery for at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He is now at home and in the midst of Chemo and radiation treatments. Paul is still a devout martial artist practicing on his own and taking lessons once a week. Currently 2 other MTC family members are battling cancers of their own, and over the years we have offered our support to others in our TKD community who have faced challenges related to cancer.

All of these experiences have compelled us to become involved in the fight for our MTC family and against cancers of all kinds in our community. At this point in our lives it seems the greatest bang for our buck, so to speak, will be to pull together in an organized effort to raise funds that will be used for research, support and education. There seems to be a strength in numbers where fundraising is concerned and the American Cancer Society organizes the Relay for Life as a community wide event to bring Missoula together to fight cancer, so we jumped in the arena to join the fight.

Helping out
Our goal is to raise $5000 by June 20th.

We are selling luminary bags to be decorated in honor of or in memory of someone who has been affected by cancer. Bags are for sale at the dojang for $10 each, buy one or buy many. also you may donate in any amount.

We are still looking to round out our team of at least 15 people to run and/or walk around the track for 16 hours and join the rest of the fun at the event.

Your help in any way is greatly appreciated.

from the desk of Mrs. Rosbarsky