USA Karate Hollywood 2020 Pandemic Impact Relief

Please permit me to introduce myself and our dojo. I’m Shihan Grant Campbell, and I am asking for your help to continue serving the community.

Here’s a link to the recent interview with NBC NEWS 6 about our dojo that I’d like you to review:

https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/local-karate-instructor-hopes-to-help-others-emotionally-during-pandemic/2277517/ 

Please allow me to explain further. 

For the past 20 years I have proudly operated our dojo (martial arts school) in South Florida.  We are now facing a crisis that will hopefully involve the community coming together in assisting us with the matter  of COVID-19 financial obstacles which are currently threatening our dojo’s very existence.  


Since 1985, my dream and my passion has been to develop our dojo, USA Karate into a vital part of our community.  During those 35 years, my past and present students, their parents and family members, staff members, and our frequent martial arts community visitors from around the globe have all become members of our wonderful USA Karate Extended Family.  The work that was done to achieve and maintain this dream has resulted in thousands of students of all ages having the opportunity to develop self-esteem and self-confidence, while they were learning martial arts and self-defense skills.  USA Karate has been a significant contributor to the successes that our students achieve in their lives, and for many it was also a place they considered their second home. 


As featured in the Sun Sentinel for many years we’ve also run the largest program for developmentally disabled in South Florida and have done inner city outreach programs for decades.



It’s rather uncomfortable for me to try to describe all the many  and various accomplishments of the dojo or myself on this form. Our website, karatehollywood.com has more about our dojo, some of our award winning programs and other items that may be of interest.  I will gladly speak with you directly and have a conversation about the many past achievements over a 35 year period if you’d like. Suffice it to say, there’ve been a great many.

When the COVID-19 shutdown began in March, it became increasingly difficult to keep our dojo going.  I have continued to apply for all of the government’s emergency business assistance and loan programs, but have been finding that I do not qualify for most of these.  What I am receiving from the couple that I did qualify for, only covers a small fraction of the current gap between my minimum monthly operating expenses (including those for COVID-19 prevention), and the limited income I have been able to generate since the March shutdown began. Despite this hardship I have still made training available to families that could not afford tuition at this time due to loss of employment.

The children needed and we’re still here for them.
Now we need your help.

Looking forward, I am anticipating it will be at least six months after the end of the current August shutdown before the monthly student tuition payments I am receiving will return to a level where I am once again able to cover my minimum monthly operating expenses.  This is due in part to a temporary increase in my minimum monthly operating expenses when I am required to begin repaying the portions of the monthly building repair costs that were also deferred during the March through August closure periods. 

I’m not ready to quit......that’s not what I teach or advocate, but the harsh reality of this situation is that I do not have the ability to personally subsidize this of this on my own now.  So, as hard as it is for me to say this, “I need help”.  

I am asking you and the other members of our USA Karate Extended Family to:

1) Please share this GoFundMe page on your social media accounts;

and, assuming that your personal, family and household finances allow you to do so

2) Please consider making a donation on our GoFundMe page. 

My hope is that you and almost everyone else in our USA Karate Extended Family will be willing to share this GoFundMe page on your social media accounts, to help create opportunities for it to be brought to the attention of other individuals and organizations who are willing to make donations in recognition of the value and importance of what we do.  I am also hopeful that you and a very large number of our USA Karate Extended Family will be making personal donations, so we are able achieve our donation goals based on the significant number of donations we receive, more so than relying on the individual dollar values of these donations.

Every penny of this fundraiser will go directly to repairing the Dojo facility for maintaining and keeping our school alive. 

I realize that some may read this and not respond. My request is, however, directed to those that see value in what we’ve done and continue to do for others. We don’t want to see our dojo close because of this Pandemic situation.

Thank you! 

I appreciate you taking the time to read and consider my request for your help.  I am grateful for the sharing and donation actions you decide to take. 

Despite the difficult times we are all currently going through, I remain committed to providing our current and future USA Karate Extended Family members with a high quality and safe program that teaches martial arts and self-defense skills, and provides opportunities for personal growth and the development of self-esteem and self-confidence. 

With your help we can make it through this tough time, I know not everyone is able to help by giving but if you're feeling it on your heart to help out please help in anyway you can. Losing this resource in the community would be devastating to so many children and families. What I teach these children lasts for a lifetime and helps shape the way these children grow up and become contributing members of our society.

Please look at the news articles, news casts and testimonials attached.

Please, if you feel it in your heart give what you can.

We will keep our progress updated here and thank you in advance for your consideration and kindness.