Melbourne club, Jeongsin Taekwondo, are kicking their way across Melbourne on Good Friday to raise funds for sick children.
The fundraiser is led by club Owner and Head Instructor Master Kristy Busuttil, who wants to support the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) to continue providing vital services to children needing medical care.
It's an issue close to Master Busuttil's heart as her six-month-old son, Harlen, has been receiving a significant amount of treatment at the RCH for a rare liver disorder.
"Harlen was taken to the Royal Children's Hospital for emergency surgery when he was eight weeks old," Master Busuttils says. "He was born without a bile duct and a gall bladder, which we didn't know until he turned all yellow and was rushed to the hospital. The next thing we knew, he was in for a major life-saving surgery.
"It was a bit of a whirlwind; we didn't get time to stop and think or process it all. At the moment, he has fortnightly or monthly meetings with doctors there, and once they get him big enough, they will do a transplant. So hopefully, what they're doing will be enough to get him bigger and stronger.
"Since we've been in the care of the Royal Children's, we've seen how much amazing work they do whilst being in the hospital so often, so we thought it was time to give back and support the hospital for the Good Friday Appeal."
On April 7, club members will begin their 10km kicking relay from Maidstone in Melbourne's North West to the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) in Parkville as part of the Good Friday Appeal.
A mix of kids and adults will be participating in Doboks (and t-shirts with the RCH logo). Individuals will kick a certain distance and take turns carrying a banner promoting their cause with a QR code that people can use to donate.
Jeongsin Taekwondo was established seventeen years ago and has always been a family-oriented club. Its members come from various backgrounds, including several para-athletes with special needs and disabilities, many of whom have received much care from the RCH.
"The club is full of families and people of various ages and abilities… It's a great opportunity to get involved not just for myself, but the students. When I put the idea to them, many of them had also been patients at the Royal Children's Hospital, so they were really keen to get on board.
"It's not just about my case, it's about making sure this care is available to everybody. I think everyone has had some experience with the Royal Children's Hospital, or knows someone who has. They would know about the incredible work they're doing. It's important to get behind them and support the cause because, without them, people like Harlen and others wouldn't get the care they need."
The whole Jeongsin community has united in support of the fundraiser, and they hope the broader Australian Taekwondo community will too.
How can the taekwondo community help?
You can show your support for the fundraiser in a few ways:
"If anyone wants to reach out and show support in other ways, or if they need any support themselves, or want to chat about personal experiences that they're having, I'm more than open to talking to anybody," Master Busuttils says.
Anyone can donate to the initiative via the Good Friday Appeal page.
For more information about Jeongsin Taekwondo, visit their website or Facebook page.
