MARTIAL ARTS YOUTH CENTER

Cody is the founder of Cody's Individual Comfort Kits, an organization he started in 2002 that assembles free boxes of books, blankets, videos, toys, and always a teddy bear and a note from Cody to make a child's visit to the hospital for treatment a little less frightening. Cody himself experienced this fear while in the hospital for a broken arm and severe ear infection, but he is also no stranger to feeling the pain and uncertainty that comes with terminal illnesses such as cancer. Cody's mother, Jan Clark, is in remission for cancer, while his father, Steve Clark, is considered terminal. So far, over 150 kits have been distributed across Canada, and Cody's heart keeps growing larger and larger for those in need.

"I watched how the community rallied around our family and I decided I wanted to do something to help other people, too," said Cody.

Cody's Individual Comfort Kits has expanded to include 50 Grandma and Grandpa Kits already distributed to elderly people who experience isolation and boredom, and also Cody's annual Poor Boy's Supper held as a fund-raiser to assist his out-of-pocket expenses for the kits and the Kemptville District Hospital Foundation.

Compassionate, caring, and empowered, Cody credits many of his strongest qualities to his karate training at the Rideau Osgoode Karate Club (ROKC) located in Osgoode.

"Karate is a very important part of my life because I can now do lots of things like give speeches to 400 people and do fund-raising," said Cody, who began his training at Douvris Martial Arts in Kemptville. "Karate has given me an inner strength that I draw from in those tough situations, and it makes me feel like I can do anything if I set my mind right." Cody currently attends classes two to three times per week with Sensei Albert Ethier, founder of ROKC. He has earned the level of Junior Shodan Ho in karate and is a Yellow Belt in Jiu Jitsu.

"Right now, I'm working on my Black Belt kata and my Orange Belt in Jiu Jitsu," said Cody, whose favorite skills include the bo staff, for which he has earned three gold medals and one silver medal.

The level of confidence Cody brings to his charity work is a long way from how he felt before he began his karate training. "I started karate because I was really shy and did not like to leave my mom at all," he said. "I cried all the time and was scared of everything!"

Cody's mother, Jan, thought karate would be an excellent way for him to express his fears and gain more courage. That courage has paved the way for Cody to enter hospitals and meet with patients his own age who are in poor health and who are put at ease for the first time with some thoughtful gifts from Cody.

Cody's compassionate charity work began at age seven when his friend, Brenna, was in need of a heart transplant.

"I wanted to raise money to 'buy' her a new heart," said Cody, and to do this, he rallied his community and raised almost $2,500 and gathered over 2,000 signatures for a petition to keep the Children's Hospital of East Ontario Cardiac Unit open. Because of Cody's efforts, the provincial Minister of Health reviewed his petition, and the unit is still open to this day.

Cody's fund-raising and petitioning gave him the experience he needed to conduct the ongoing fund-raising he does for Cody's Individual Comfort Kits. So far, he has raised over $16,000.

Cody's karate and charity work combined when his own sensei, Albert Ethier, was the recipient of a Comfort Kit a few years ago when he spent time in the hospital with heart problems.

"It was heartwarming to receive this present from such a mature young man," said Ethier, who has witnessed Cody's transformation from a shy kid to a confident agent of change. "All martial arts should empower young minds with self respect and certain values that will benefit and let them come out of their shells to be better people," said Ethier. "We can only hope that they will return the favor to the next generation of youths."

In the dojo, Cody is doing just that as a junior instructor at ROKC. "I try to teach the younger students that it is okay to make a mistake, and I try to have them remember that I was once a White Belt, and I know how it feels to be a little scared," he said. "At first, I found karate very hard because I felt awkward and silly and I cried all the time. After I got my first stripe, though, I was just fine!"

In his charity work, Cody recently held his third annual Poor Boy's Supper fund-raiser on Nov. 26, 2005, in Kemptville, Ontario. This successful and well-attended event raised over

Governor General's Caring Canadian Award 2005

$8,000 that was presented to the Kemptville District Hospital. He also continues to be recognized by government officials and awards organizations for his work, including The Kids Hall of Fame and Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year.

Cody has ambitions to continue karate throughout his life and earn his Adult Belt and then his First Degree and move forward from there. Karate is for life in Cody's eyes, and he is excited to learn something new every day. To Cody, studying karate and Cody's Individual Comfort Kits will always be linked.

"I feel that karate has given me an inner peace and strength," said Cody. "I try to put that into practice when I am fund-raising or giving a Comfort Kit to a patient who is dying. The peace and strength will keep me motivated in the future to achieve in karate, and to put a smile on someone's face."

To help Cody with his charity work by donating to Cody's Individual Comfort Kits, please visit his Web site: www.codyscomfortkits.com, or mail your gift directly to this address:

Kemptville District Hospital Foundation
PO Box 2007
Kemptville, Ontario K06 1J0

More About Cody Clark

Courage and Determination Meet Face to Face
Jet and Cody’s Story