GIVE KIDS A FIGHTING CHANCE
Join us in our mission to sponsor kids all over the world with a majority of them being local kids from around Ontario and get them registered in surrounding gyms!
ABOUT US
The Hearts for Martial Arts Foundation was created in 2022, after a board of directors came together to try and find a solution to help families who struggle to afford extracurricular activities-specifically martial arts for their children. The president of the foundation Brendan Kalijundic is a Martial Arts Gym owner in Bowmanville and Port Perry, Ontario, Canada since 2011 called Kalsamrit Martial Arts. Over those 10 years of working the front desk, struggled with the hard conversations to families who couldn’t afford the cost of a membership and the kids would have to miss out on an amazing life changing industry! Martial arts not only can teach kids the confidence needed, but it also builds strength, teamwork, friendships, discipline, focus and so many other life skills that Brendan struggled seeing deserving, motivated kids not be able to sign up for because of their financial struggles! It was very hard for us and many other martial arts businesses trying to manage a successful business but also help under deserving kids at the same time, so the idea of a foundation to help raise funds was created to help give opportunities to kids who need it!
Over the years we have sponsored kids regardless of having the charity going when and where needed but wanted to make this something bigger! As a black belt Brendan asked himself a couple personal questions: What do you want to be known for as a black belt? Do you want to be known for making successful fighters? Being the best coach? Having a successful business? Being personally successful in competition? After many years, the idea finally came for what he wanted to be remembered for and what legacy he would pass on, it would be to open a foundation and charity to sponsor as many kids as possible around the world to help change lives! His coach and mentor was a pioneer of Martial Arts in Ontario (Professor Justin Bruckmann), he left a legacy in his city of running food drives, sponsoring shelters, being a guest speaker to troubled youth and instilled in Brendan as his student the importance of giving back and making a difference in the community and doing something bigger to help others. This charity was created, and this will be the legacy Brendan will work for as a black belt! Professor Justin Bruckmann was also named to the board of directors in this charity as he will continue to speak to the youth around the world while continuing his mentorship in charitable work to the Hearts for Martial Arts Foundation!
The goal of this foundation is to sponsor kids all over the world with most of them being local kids from around Ontario and get them registered in surrounding gyms! The board of directors will throw events such as golf tournaments, and competition events to raise money to fund the kids training! Private doners and business doners will also be welcomed to help sponsor children! One of the struggles we found was from other foundations that help fund certain amounts of training the paperwork and the hoops to jump through are very hard. We wanted to make it a super easy process and just get the kids signed up. We will update success stories through our website and follow up years later with how those kids are doing!
Early in the opening of this foundation we are excited to announce we have helped a 7yr old boy from Ukraine who has moved to Canada, the Hearts for Martial Arts foundation reached out to sponsor a full martial arts membership and Kalsamrit Martial Arts summer camps! We are currently working with the Clarington Projects a special needs facility and have provided free training and uniforms for this group in Bowmanville, Ontario and currently have 2 other kids enrolled full time in surrounding gyms!
SUCCESS STORIES
My ten year old son Owen, is the most polite kid you’ll ever meet, but does deal with depression. The time away from his friends at school didn’t suit him well and with me losing my job, trying to kickstart things – I was worried he was going to lose out on what he loved doing most, going to Kalsamrit and doing MMA. The bond he has with the kids there is the most special thing to me as a parent and I was crushed I couldn’t afford to do it anymore. It made me feel like I let him down.
I heard about Hearts for Martial Arts and applied, and with their help – and only with their help, Owen is back doing what he loves the most! Owen was so happy and joyed when I told him he could keep wrestling and going Kalsamrit, he couldn’t believe it, neither could I!
Travis Robert Gillespie
Martial Arts Scholarship
Hearts for Martial Arts is humbled to have been approached by Travis’ family who wished to honour his memory by donating to our charity. Travis was passionate about Martial Arts. He loved children and always promoted good physical and mental health through exercise and fitness. Hearts for Martial Arts has set up a scholarship in Travis’ name which will be awarded to a child each year in his memory.
Hearts for Martial Arts is humbled and honoured to be able to have $10,000.00 in sponsorships going out to 5 different gyms across Ontario.
Family members, friends and colleagues of Travis Gillespie have been making donations in his memory to Hearts for Martial Arts. These donations go towards the Travis Robert Gillespie Martial Arts Scholarship. In the next few weeks Hearts for Martial Arts will be presenting scholarship funds to gyms across the province, who will now be able to give more kids the opportunity to start their Martial Arts journey.
Hounoring a great man taken too soon.
Through donations made in Travis’ memory Hearts for Martial Arts was able to award $10,000 in scholarship money to 5 gyms throughout Ontario today.
The funds will be used to set up yearlong training memberships for several youth in each community.