Hi Everyone!
My name is Karen and I'm so excited to be participating in my second Pull for Pride Brooklyn deadlifting event to raise money for the Ali Forney Center in Brooklyn, NY, organized by the Women's Strength Coalition!
My personal goals for this year's event are:
1) To lift over 1,000 pounds in 3 successful attempts
2) To raise $1 per pound that I aim to lift during the event - that's at least $1000!
3) To be able perform a successful 400 pound deadlift during my 3rd attempt
As a proud Filipino-American female lifter and an ally to the LBGTQIA+ community, I'm passionate about empowering women and other gender expressions to pursue strength, and especially when I'm able to use my strength to raise money for such a worthy cause.
I believe that no matter who you are, every person has a right to live a life full of dignity and respect - and it's especially important for LGBTQ teens to be able to find a place where they're respected, nurtured and guided to become strong and mature adults. No LGBTQ person should ever be turned away from their homes because of their orientation - but the Ali Forney Center in Brooklyn provides homeless LBGTQ teens the support they need.
About the Event “Pull For Pride is a nationwide deadlifting fundraiser, open to all gender identities and experience levels. Participants will be raising $1 for every pound they plan to lift, to uplift homeless youth around the country… At the event over 50 lifter-fundraisers will take turns deadlifting progressively higher weights, aiming to match dollar for pound to help lift up these often-unnoticed homeless youth. The deadlift, for the uninitiated, involves stepping up behind a loaded barbell, grasping the bar, standing up with the weight, and setting it back down on the ground. It is a simple lift that is imbued with meaning: coming forward to face a challenge, and succeeding through the simple mechanism of one’s own strength.”
About the Charity
Pull For Pride’s Brooklyn event will be raising money for The Ali Forney Center. “The Ali Forney Center encircles youth with quality services in an LGBTQ-Positive environment. Given the discrimination and harassment that so many of these young adults have faced, they need comprehensive support and encouragement to develop pride and security in their LGBTQ identities. AFC’s clients come from all walks of life. More than 80% are kicked out of their homes for being who they are. The remainder run away due to abuse, neglect, or a combination of rejection and abuse. About half of AFC's clients come to us from other states and some are even from around the world.”
Please feel free to donate to my campaign, and let's raise some money!!
Thank you again for the support!
