Kindling sales for Warm the Children charity lagging

The 22nd annual “Break-athon” to raise money for the Greenfield Recorder’s Warm the Children charity was held at the Greenfield Tae Kwon Do Center on Nov. 23. The pile of broken boards in the center of the room grew as the day progressed. Each broken board represents a pledged dollar amount to the charity, and the boards are then sold as kindling to raise even more money. STAFF FILE PHOTO/ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN
Published: 12-17-2024 12:44 PM |
GREENFIELD — Sales of kindling following this year’s “Break-athon” fundraiser are off to a slow start, says Greenfield Tae Kwon Do Center owner David Johnson.
For the past 22 years, the “Break-athon” has allowed the center’s tae kwon do students to practice their skills by breaking boards. With a pledge attached to each board ranging from a couple cents to a few dollars, the effort raises money for Warm the Children, the Greenfield Recorder’s charity that helps provide warm clothing for families in need across Franklin County and the North Quabbin area.
In the interest of raising as much money as possible, the center then sells the broken boards for kindling.
However, sales are lagging so far this year. Johnson said the Greenfield Tae Kwon Do Center started with roughly 160 bundles of kindling and has only sold about 30 so far. He chalks this up to warm weather lingering later into the fall, with many November days reaching top temperatures in the 50s to 70s before dropping significantly earlier this month. The economy might be influencing people’s decision as well, he added.
“We’ve been very surprised about the low response because historically, people call in advance to reserve bags of kindling,” Johnson said. “It’s just not selling.”
Warm the Children was started in 1993 and the annual winter donation drive runs through the end of December. Last year, the drive provided new coats and clothes to about 840 children, raising more than $50,000 to cover expenses. The Recorder has a partnership with Target to provide gift cards to beneficiaries and these gift cards are provided to Community Action Pioneer Valley for distribution to those in need. They can be used in stores or online to buy clothing for each qualifying child, 12 years old or younger.
Johnson said the Greenfield Tae Kwon Do Center is “heavily invested in trying to take care of local children,” stating that in the past 22 years that the center has held the “Break-athon” fundraiser and subsequent kindling sales, it has raised $120,000 for the cause. Additionally, the center absorbs the expenses of the event to maximize the amount of money that can be put toward the fundraising effort.
“The fact of the matter is, New England is characterized by its winters,” Johnson said. “So, it’s our way to take care of the local kids, to do something for part of the community that we belong to.”
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This year’s “Break-athon,” held Nov. 23, raised just over $2,000 on the day of the event. All 2,800 boards were broken, with Lamore Lumber Post & Beam Buildings in Deerfield, Hamshaw Lumber and The J Team in South Deerfield, and Cowls Building Supply in Amherst banding together to provide the center with a stack of wood towering 6 feet tall.
Johnson said he is proud of the quality of kindling the center offers after the event. He explained the center separates wood into bundles based on size so that those seeking kindling for wood stoves won’t end up with wood that is better suited to fire pits.
“There’s no question as to the quality of the wood that people are getting,” Johnson said. “It’s much more kindling [for $10] than people could possibly get if they purchased it anywhere else.”
Johnson encourages community members to buy kindling soon, stating that in previous years, once the wood begins to sell, it goes fast. The Greenfield Tae Kwon Do Center, located at 102 Federal St., can be reached at grnfldtkd@gmail.com or 413-774-5395.
Outside of the “Break-athon,” anyone who would like to send tax-deductible donations for Warm the Children can do so online at recorder.com by clicking the Warm the Children “Donate Here” feature at the top left of the homepage. Donations can also be sent to Greenfield Recorder, Warm the Children Fund, P.O. Box 1367, 14 Hope St., Greenfield, MA 01301.