Aikido Academy honors Dalai Lama
Aikido Academy was invited to present a workshop on April 15 at the Seeds of Compassion, a five-day gathering in Seattle honoring the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu.
Sensei (chief instructor) Bill Gray as well as 20 children and six adults explored how to model “compassion in action” for children via an Aikido demonstration. The emphasis was placed on showing how individuals can perfect their character and develop qualities such as courage and inner strength.
“The first day children start Aikido, they are taught that it is an art of protection and kindness,” Gray said. “Here at Aikido Academy, we strive to bring out the best in children, and we let them know that it’s also okay to make mistakes.”
Gray is a yandan (fourth-degree black belt) and has been teaching Aikido in Redmond for 10 years. He has also studied Hapkido and is a student of Araki Ryu (a martial art founded in japan in the 1500s).
Aikido Academy is located at 14860 NE 95th Street, (425) 882-9934, www.aikidoredmond.com.
‘Spring Sing’ set for Sunday
The community is invited to the St. Jude Sanctuary Choir’s 18th annual “Spring Sing” at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 27.
The popular choir will present works by Handel, Mendelssohn, Rutter, Gershwin, Victor Herbert and John Williams, including secular and contemporary pieces, solos and small ensembles. There will be fun selections from “The Music Man,” “The Simpsons” and “West Side Story,” and as usual, a few surprises.
St. Jude Catholic Church is located at 10526 166th Ave. NE in Redmond.
There is no charge to attend the concert, but donations of any amount will be accepted for the sanctuary piano replacement fund. Complimentary refreshments will be served.
For information, call (425) 883-7685.
Help stuff ‘wellness bags’ on May 8
On May 8, from 6-8 p.m., women from the community are invited to Redmond Town Center to help stuff 500 “Wellness Bags” for women undergoing cancer treatment programs at Evergreen Healthcare. The event will be held at The Big Picture.
As well as seeking volunteers, Redmond Town Center would welcome donations of stationery, health and beauty products, books, magazines, word puzzles and other “wellness” items to include in the bags.
For more information, call (425) 869-2640.
