To say that August was a whirlwind would be an understatement. Those thirty days proved to be the most transformative in our nonprofit’s history. We’ll do our best to capture the impact and significance of it all, but words can’t fully convey what it meant to us!
As many jiu-jitsu fans know, Craig Jones was set to disrupt the BJJ tournament scene with his self-entitled “Craig Jones Invitational (CJI),” approaching the competitive BJJ scene with a fresh perspective and a determination to pay the competitors more than they’ve ever been paid before. The Vegas tournament featured million-dollar prizes for each division winner and generous appearance fees for participants ($10,001 to be exact). It also included a highly anticipated super fight between the P4P #1 female grappler in the world, Ffion Davies, against BJJ royalty and UFC veteran Mackenzie Dern. Not to mention the back and forth battle between Craig and Gabi Garcia.
However, the true game-changer was CJI’s commitment to donate its profits to charity. In July, Tap Cancer Out was thrilled to be named the Premier Charity Partner. Additionally, Rich Byrne (CEO of Kasai Grappling) and an anonymous third donor pledged to match donations dollar for dollar, meaning our donation would be tripled. This had the makings of something extraordinary!
In addition to receiving a donation after the event, we collaborated with The Fair Fight Foundation, the nonprofit behind CJI, to create content highlighting some of their fighters. Joao Gabriel Rocha, a cancer survivor, shared his personal journey, and we spoke with Fair Fight Foundation CEO, Seth Belisle, about his father’s battle with cancer. Everyone has a cancer story, and we were honored to help share theirs.
The CJI event weekend was unforgettable. Seeing our logos on the mats and meeting jiu-jitsu legends was a highlight for us. Our videos were shown on the arena jumbotron, streaming globally, and we received messages from people everywhere saying, “I saw TCO at CJI!” Plus, the matches were some of the best BJJ we’ve ever seen—worthy of an article all on their own!
Just last week, we announced that thanks to CJI, The Fair Fight Foundation, and our two matching donors, Tap Cancer Out would receive a record-breaking $500,000. This is the largest single donation we have ever received, and we’ve detailed more about this incredible support on our blog.
Two weeks later, we headed to Las Vegas for IBJJF’s Jiu-Jitsu Con, a massive expo alongside Masters Worlds and the Youth Tournament. We were thrilled to meet BJJ practitioners from around the globe at our TCO booth. Riding the wave of excitement from CJI, many visitors already knew of us, which was amazing to hear.
We didn’t want our booth to be just another stop; we wanted to create a meaningful experience. We introduced a “Wind Phone” installation, where visitors could leave messages for loved ones they are fighting for. It was an emotional experience, with many sharing heartfelt moments, and we’ve received incredible feedback. We look forward to sharing content from that day soon.
These two events have left us inspired and motivated. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported us and given us these amazing opportunities. We can’t wait to see the lasting impact of this momentum on the rest of our 2024 season and beyond!