Spirit TKD Martial Arts Self-Defense

We hiked our 200th mile today!!!! Only 116 left.

Tell your family members every day that you love them. Today is a gift and tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Only 145 miles left of the Superior Hiking Trail!

The 100 miles done on the S*T has given me better insight to the struggles trafficked children face each day.

100 miles down! Only 220 to go.

Only 280 miles left! Saving kids each day!

Happy Independence Day! I am so lucky to enjoy the freedom to go on a 320-mile hike on the Superior Trail. Please pray for those who endure the bo***ge of slavery in our country each day. They are trafficked and exploited and enjoy no freedom. See you on World Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
If you would like to donate to the trek, there is still time at

Trek to SAVE Kids 320 mile trek on the Superior Hiking Trail

Community is everything!

My dad has bees.Today I went to his house and he showed me all of the honey he had gotten from the hives. He took the lid off of a 5 gallon bucket full of honey and on top of the honey there were 3 little bees, struggling. They were covered in sticky honey and drowning. I asked him if we could help them and he said he was sure they wouldn't survive. Casualties of honey collection I suppose.
I asked him again if we could at least get them out and kill them quickly, after all he was the one who taught me to put a suffering animal (or bug) out of its misery. He finally conceded and scooped the bees out of the bucket. He put them in an empty Chobani yogurt container and put the plastic container outside.
Because he had disrupted the hive with the earlier honey collection, there were bees flying all over outside.
We put the 3 little bees in the container on a bench and left them to their fate. My dad called me out a little while later to show me what was happening. These three little bees were surrounded by all of their sisters (all of the bees are females) and they were cleaning the sticky nearly dead bees, helping them to get all of the honey off of their bodies. We came back a short time later and there was only one little bee left in the container. She was still being tended to by her sisters.
When it was time for me to leave we checked one last time and all three of the bees had been cleaned off enough to fly away and the container was empty.
Those three little bees lived because they were surrounded by family and friends who would not give up on them, family and friends who refused to let them drown in their own stickiness and resolved to help until the last little bee could be set free.
Bee Sisters. Bee Peers. Bee Teammates.
We could all learn a thing or two from these bees.
Bee kind always.~
~author credit goes to bonnie ellen netzly 🥰
art: Autumn Skye Morrison

"In the whisper of the waves, hear the call to adventure, as ancient as the sea itself." Volunteer with Mr. Paul and the other sea dogs at Summerfest Family Night at the AMP from 4- 8 PM. See you on the high seas to make a splash!

Ahoy all Mateys and mer people! We need you to join our parade float the SS Spread Your Wings on July 13th from 8 AM- 10:30 AM. We will line up our mermaids and mermen in their wagons and pirates in their swag at 8 AM in the Ankeny High School parking lot.
Mr Paul and the crew will be decorating the ship and wagons at Fusion on Friday, July 12th,
PLEASE RSVP to Mr. Paul as soon as possible.
See you on the high seas as we make a splash!

HARD TRUTH: In your community there is a child who wants to make friends and belong, but has faced bullying and ridicule instead. 1:3 will fight this violence.
There is a child being trafficked by someone they know. There are 320 each day.
There is a child considering su***de and one making the attempt.
One in three children is facing a traumatic event.
End the violence now! Donate today to the Trek to SAVE Kids!
A vibrant youth center that is dedicated to creating a community around youth can save children from violence, give them empowerment skills to help them thrive, and teach them self-defense skills to avoid harm.
THANK YOU FOR SAVING KIDS!
https://givebutter.com/trektosavekids
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Trek to SAVE Kids 320 mile trek on the Superior Hiking Trail

Donate today and SAVE Kids! https://givebutter.com/trektosavekids

Get your teen ready for summer fun!

1 Day Self Defense Camp for Teens Self-Defense Camp for students ages 12-16

Get your children ready for summer activities.

1 Day Child Abduction Prevention Camp for Kids Self-Defense Camp for Students ages 5-11 to prevent abduction, bullying, and adult predators.

Getting so excited for 3 major events coming up. The Ankeny Rotary Gala, the marriage of our daughter, and the 320-mile hike with one of my dearest mentors and friends. Stay positve everyone.

No class tonight. All the instructors are sick. See you Monday.

See you in 12 days!

Reach For the Stars Open Taekwondo Tournament Taekwondo Tournament exclusively for BEGINNER & Special Needs/ Para Athletes including sparring, Poomsae, and board breaking

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Be Informed!

15 Things You Can Do to Stop Child S*x Trafficking Here are some things YOU can do to help stop child s*x trafficking. Many of the actions people take online actually make the problem worse!

Ankeny Moms and Ankeny People ~ Community Group Ankeny People (the original)of Ankeny, are you looking for fun ways to keep your kiddos moving and engaged this winter?
The Village & Spread Your Wings Youth Center has something for everyone from ages 5-18. Check out the schedule!
Monday 4-8pm Martial arts
Tuesday 4-6 Parkour and then 6-8 Self-Defense Class
Wednesday 4-6 Parkour and then 7-9 Board game night
Thursday 4-8 Martial Arts
Friday 4-6 Parkour, 6-8 Swords Club, 8-10 Friday Night Fusion for kiddos ages 4-7th grade
Saturday 8am-4pm Self-Defense Classes and then 4-7 Swords Club, then 8-10 Solace for 6 - 12th grade.
Come Join us!

The Village Youth Center and Spirit TKD See all the activities offered at The Village Youth Center, the headquarters of Spread Your Wings, and The House of Rogues. We have Martial arts, parkour, hi...

I stole this from Amanda McCarley and laughed til I cried. Some of these are so hilariously accurate! 🤣
1. When one door closes and another door opens, you are probably in prison.
2. To me, "drink responsibly" means don't spill it.
3. Age 60 might be the new 40, but 9:00 pm is the new midnight.
4. It's the start of a brand new day, and I'm off like a herd of turtles.
5. The older I get, the earlier it gets late.
6. When I say, "The other day," I could be referring to any time between yesterday and 15 years ago.
7. I remember being able to get up without making sound effects.
8. I had my patience tested. I'm negative.
9. Remember, if you lose a sock in the dryer it comes back as a Tupperware lid that doesn't fit any of your containers.
10. If you're sitting in public and a stranger takes the seat next to you, just stare straight ahead and say, "Did you bring the money?"
11. When you ask me what I am doing today, and I say "nothing," it does not mean I am free. It means I am doing nothing.
12. I finally got eight hours of sleep. It took me three days, but whatever.
13. I run like the winded.
14. I hate when a couple argues in public, and I missed the beginning and don't know whose side I'm on.
15. When someone asks what I did over the weekend, I squint and ask, "Why, what did you hear?"
16. When you do squats, are your knees supposed to sound like a goat chewing on an aluminum can stuffed with celery?
17. I don't mean to interrupt people. I just randomly remember things and get really excited.
18. When I ask for directions, please don't use words like "east."
19. Don't bother walking a mile in my shoes. That would be boring. Spend 30 seconds in my head. That'll freak you right out.
20. Sometimes, someone unexpected comes into your life out of nowhere, makes your heart race, and changes you forever. We call those people cops.
21. My luck is like a bald guy who just won a comb.

Eagles, our holiday party is Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 6pm. Bring your favorite snack or appetizer to share. We will have awards, eats, and merriment! See you there!
Fun night with pajamas and your belt workout will be January 4th 2024 during your class. You are amazing!

Hey Eagles, get registered for the tournament now!

Reach For the Stars Open Taekwondo Tournament Taekwondo Tournament exclusively for BEGINNER & Special Needs/ Para Athletes including sparring, Poomsae, and board breaking

During these trying times for youth, we are grateful to have your support of The Village Youth Center, The House of Rogues, and Spread Your Wings. It is because of our passionate, dedicated, and generous community, that we can help youth thrive and not just survive, stay safe, and have a place to belong. Your tax-deductible gift of any amount will change lives. No gift is too small to change a life. Thank you!
https://givebutter.com/9wE7vg

The Village Youth Center and The House of Rogues invites all our Facebook friends to participate in our year-end giving campaign benefitting the youth of Ankeny and the Des Moines Metro. Aprroximately 1:3 students face bullying. We can change that in 2024. Support our fight to help youth thrive, not just survive by creating a community surrounding our youth at The Village Youth Center now and in the future. Go to https://givebutter.com/9wE7vg or https://www.givedsm.org/givedsm/needs/help-the-village-help-more-youth-stay-safe-0775/ to donate today! Help us also by sharing with your circle of friends and family.

GIVEdsm Help The Village Youth Center keep 1000 + area youth safe from bullying, human trafficking, poor mental health, self-harm, substance abuse, violence, and risky behaviors each week. When youth belong, move, create, explore new interests, and become their best selves, the youth and the community thriv...

MOMS: FYI Fusion will be from 7-9:30 pm every Friday night in December. See you there.

Hey Eagles-----Testing night is October 26 during your class time. Feel free to invite others. See you there!

Hey eagles, we need movie stars on October 10th at 4pm. If you would like to shine, join us for the video we are making to promote all the fun to be had at The Village. Let Mr. Paul or Master Mrs know if you would like to participate. See you soon!

With a new school year beginning, we wish all past, present, and future, Spirit Eagles an amazing year!

When you go to the fair please stop by the MidAmerican Energy Building on Expo Hill through August 20 to submit your favorite community organization (Spread Your Wings and The House of Rogues) for a chance to win a $1,000 CARES donation that day and at the end of the fair one of the 10 winners will receive an additional $10,000. Share with everyone!!

Dear TKD family, Did you know that Ankeny wants to build another sports complex and put out bids for this with taxpayer money? This one with pickleball courts and softball fields. WE DO NOT NEED THIS. We REALLY need a youth center that will help our youth thrive and not just survive. The courts and fields will not provide a place for the youth to belong, feel valued, or provide 5 or more mentors in their lives that care about their well-being. The new complex will not empower youth to avoid gangs and drugs or decrease criminal activity. Pickleball or softball will not help a child avoid human trafficking, or improve their academic understanding. The additional courts or fields will NOT save our community $9-24 million dollars each year in criminal prosecution, mental health and physical health care costs, or economic loss from school dropouts or academic underachievement. Please plead through calls or emails to the city council asking them to put the money towards a youth center instead of another sports complex. A public hearing on this matter is scheduled for Sept 5. We hope to see you there! Let the City of Ankeny know the children of Ankeny are more important than another sports complex area.