At our most recent Gorilla Cups, the Gorilla Booster Club raises close to $2,000 in donations with the support of our competitors, spectators, volunteers, and their families. And with each tournament this event grows.
Our Gorilla Cups have grown so much that this spring it will be held at Columbia Falls High School to accommodate competitors from all four SBG gyms in Montana.
The Gorilla Cup is one of many events and socials we host at SBG to support the Gorilla Booster Club.
If you’re new to the tribe or a first-time competitor, you may be wondering, what is the GBC, and why does it matter?
The GBC plays a vital role in the quality of our coaching, the skills of our students, and the strength of our tribe.
How The GBC Began
The GBC has been around almost as long as SBG Montana. When Travis and I started the school, we wanted our students to have all the opportunities that come with competition: improving their skills and testing themselves against practitioners of different skill sets.
But the cost to compete was too much for some of our students. Driving out of Kalispell to where the tournaments are in places like Portland, Seattle, and Spokane isn’t cheap. Not to mention the tournaments on a national level like those in California and Las Vegas.
We saw the need for the Gorilla Booster Club. The more it grew, the more our staff and coaches took on roles to organize events. Our fundraising efforts grew beyond anything we imagined and continues to grow to this day.
Why Competition Matters
Since then we’ve watched dozens of competitors both youth and adult reap the benefits of competition.
For adults, competition puts their martial arts skills to the test. Students discover what kind of fighter they truly are and where to take their training next.
For kids, it’s learning to have the flexibility to accept things they can’t control, to focus on the things you can control, and how their reaction shapes their character.
For all of our fighters and coaches, it’s about showing up, being well trained, and giving it everything they have.
But it also matters to the greater SBG tribe. Competition legitimizes SBG as a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school nationwide, and when our competitors meet our BJJ peers from other schools, we have a chance to show them what we’re about.
How Our Tribe Supports The GBC
There are many ways you can be a part of our efforts to support the GBC, and no role is too small.
- Donations. Financial support is obviously a huge need for the GBC. For each competition we attend in the northwest, a competitor receives $100. For events in LA or Las Vegas, costs can range anywhere from $300-$600. Every bake sale, rummage sale, car wash, and MacKenzie River Community Night makes it possible for us to cover these costs. When you show up for these events, you are helping a fighter reach their goals.
- Time. At our events, you’ll see some of our competitors donating their time to give back to the GBC, but we love it when our other members volunteer as well! Donating your time helps make these events a smashing success.
- Acknowledge & celebrate our competitors. When our competitors come home from tournaments, congratulate them and ask about the experience. They train hard to prepare for these competitions and give it their best. It gives them joy to know that their tribe recognizes their efforts and is cheering them on regardless of the outcome.
- Board members. The future of the GBC is bright, and we need bright minds to help us run it. As our tribe grows so do our competition teams, we need the GBC more than ever. If you have any special skills that can help the GBC be the professional and successful nonprofit it needs to be, we want to work with you!
No Matter What, Give What You Can.
The funds raised in the upcoming tournament – and in events to come – will send SBG competitors to out-of-town tournaments, advancing their skills as athletes and empowering them as people.
No contribution is too small or insignificant to fulfill the vision of the GBC. It takes a tribe, after all, to do great things. It is my hope that everyone can be a part of it!
Coach Kisa
