Khem Lanna Muay Thai is a retired champion from Lanna who last year suffered paralysis after a motorbike accident. Kaitburin Muay Thai in Oxfordshire, England designed and organized a fundraiser to help alleviate Khem’s medical costs by asking Muay Thai students and fighters around the world to record themselves performing their fastest, best 50 kicks (one leg) and enter the video into a competition for a number of great prizes (equipment, signed fighter gloves/shorts, gift cards, etc). All told people around the world participated to support Khem and 66,664 Baht was raised and donated to Khem and his family.
I wrote a short blog post on the experience of presenting the money to Khem and his mom at the gym and how the effort toward the fundraiser is the most profound aspect of the gift, that in asking participants to do something in addition to the small donation for entry (2 GBP, $3) into the contest, the people who participated in the Khem “50 Kick” Fundraiser were giving something of themselves that has lasting power, which means a great deal – for all of us.
