Kickboxing for a Cause at Gille Park to Benefit Kids With Cancer

The will be holding a Kickboxing for a Cause fundraiser on Saturday, May 19 at Gille Park.

“At one of the main purposes of our organization is to promote education, self-development, and well-being in our community,” Program Director Melissa Bogart said.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the Ashley Lauren Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides support and assistance to families of children with cancer.

“We first heard about the Ashley Lauren Foundation shortly before this year’s Super Bowl when ESPN did a feature story about one of the young boys that the foundation supported and his unique relationship with NY Giants Defensive End Justin Tuck,” Bogart said.

The foundation introduced Tuck to the boy and the two developed a close relationship. The young boy lost his battle with cancer and Tuck has been wearing a bracelet in his honor ever since, Bogart said.

“We were so moved by the story we decided to research the New Jersey based organization further and we were blown away by all the amazing things they do for children who are suffering from cancer,” she said. “We immediately contacted the organization and talked further about putting together a fundraising event and the rest is history.”

The event will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Art Hinkelbein students will be taking part in a Kick-A-Thon, in which they’ll perform as many kicks as possible for a designated amount of time to raise as much money as they can, Bogart said.

“At Art Hinkelbein Martial Arts Academy we teach martial arts as a way of life,” she said. “In our academy, students are not only encouraged to work hard physically, but also to be compassionate and respectful leaders, no matter what their age or walk of life may be.”

Then there will be a martial arts demonstration and a cardio kickboxing class.

During the martial arts demonstration, adult students will be performing the different elements of the Art Hinkelbein system including Boxing, Jiu Jitsu, Aikido and Muay Thai.

People can participate for $25, of which all proceeds will benefit the Ashley Lauren Foundation. Participants will take part in a 50-minute beginner cardio kickboxing class led by Bogart, receive a t-shirt and get an Art Hinkelbein VIP Pass.

Following the class, the Brother Pete Band, a Forked River based trio, will be performing.

“We feel it is so important to give back to others and our community, so hosting these events gives us a great opportunity to do that as a martial arts family,” Bogart said. “We’re so excited to be supporting such an awesome cause and we’re looking forward to a great event.”

Registration and sponsorship forms are attached to this story as PDFs. While event day registration will be permitted, the Academy is encouraging people to pre-register by Wednesday, April 30.

Forms can be mailed to Art Hinkelbein Martial Arts Academy, 121 S. Main St., Suite 5, Forked River, NJ 08731.

Businesses can also pay $125 to get their logo on the back of the Kickboxing for a Cause t-shirt; $50 for just a business name or website.

For more information visit the Art Hinkelbein Martial Arts website.