Chosun Taekwondo Academy Leadership Team raises $2,700 for Lions Club holiday drive

WARWICK — Twenty-two members of the Chosun Taekwondo Academy Leadership Team, along with directors Cheryl Crouchen and Mary Suleski, recently collected more than $2,700 in donations for the Warwick Lions Club. The funds were used to buy toys and clothing items which were then gift-wrapped by team members and distributed to families during the Lions Club’s annual holiday party held Dec. 10 at the Warwick Reformed Church. The Chosun Leadership Team, along with Lions Club coordinator Claire Gabelmann, decorated the facility in preparation for the festivities. “The Chosun Team and their directors were nothing short of amazing,” Gabelmann said in the press release announcing the effort. “They were well-organized in their fund-raising efforts and while shopping for children in need. We were thoroughly impressed by their abilities and enthusiasm. Without a doubt, the project could not have been a success without the help of the Chosun Leadership Team.” Master Doug Cook, owner and head instructor of the Chosun Taekwondo Academy, described the volunteer program as “a vehicle within the framework of our school where young martial artists cultivate leadership skills while providing humanitarian services to our community at large. Time and time again these young people have demonstrated their maturity and compassion in meeting these goals.” Earlier events sponsored by the Chosun Leadership Team generated funds for the Brian Ahearn Children’s Fund, the Warwick Historical Society, the Warwick Humane Society and the Warwick Ambulance Corps.