Fundraiser for Ultimate Peace

Nick | 06/05/2018 | 3

This Saturday we’ll be turning our 10 AM Saturday class into a fundraiser WOD to raise some $$ for a program that member, Josh McCarthy works with!

Here is a note from Josh providing a bit more info:

This July, I am going to Israel to volunteer for a week as a coach with Ultimate Peace, an organization that brings together Jewish Israeli, Arab Israeli, and Palestinian youth to play…Ultimate frisbee!  The mission of Ultimate Peace is to build bridges of friendship, trust, and leadership between youth who live in communities divided by conflict, using the values-based sport of Ultimate as its tool.  Ultimate itself is 100% self-officiated (with no refs), affording the players the chance to work through any on-field disagreements to reach a mutually satisfactory outcome.  Given the conflict that exists in the Middle East today, establishing these small conflict-resolution opportunities by doing something as simple as playing the sport of Ultimate can help to break down cultural barriers that otherwise exist in their society.  While Ultimate Peace runs a year-round program teaching Ultimate in villages throughout Israel and the West Bank, I will be volunteering at the week-long summer camp that brings together these kids for a week of playing Ultimate frisbee while also enabling individuals of different (oftentimes conflicting) cultures to build deep relationships that hopefully will last a lifetime.

Here’s a really cool short video about the camp, including interviews with a number of the Israeli and Palistinean campers:  https://vimeo.com/112734967.  The website for Ultimate Peace, which has more information about the program, is www.ultimatepeace.org.

From a personal perspective, I have been passionate about Ultimate frisbee since my freshmen year of college (back in 1993!).  I’ve played on many teams over the years, and more recently coached a Boston area club team as well. I am also Jewish, and while I have never been to the Middle East, I feel connected to its history from my heritage.  So this particular volunteer opportunity is very exciting for me, and hopefully I can play a small role in helping to bridge some of the divide that presently exists between Israeli, Arab and Palestinian communities while teaching them the awesome sport of Ultimate.

Ultimate Peace is a 501(c)(3) non-profit registered with the US Internal Revenue Service.  Donations made to Ultimate Peace, Inc. are tax deductible as a charitable contribution. All volunteers are asked to fundraise (via a personal fundraising webpage) to help offset the costs of running the camp.

As for today, here’s what we got!

WOD:

5 rounds

3:00 of work:

20/15 cal row

100m sprint

-then-

As Many Rounds As Possible of

10 toes to bar

16 OH plate lunges

2:00 rest