I didn’t know how to begin this letter thanking everybody who made it possible for me to have such a wonderful day and I still don’t know if I can do it without forgetting anybody who helped in organizing it or who participated but after a week and a half I felt the need to let you know how much it meant and I how much I appreciated what you did for me on Saturday August 26th, 2006.

It is hard to describe everything what went through my mind as the evening unfolded but I’ll try to describe it and to thank each one as I go through it. To begin with, I never expected or even suspected that the five minds of Theresa Virgin, Kim Munro, Susan Kuczkowski together with my wife Myrna and my daughter Natalie and with the assistance of many people, orchestrated this amazing celebration.

The day began by my wife Myrna and my daughter Natalie tricking me into going to Kim’s. Well, I had no chance to fail them, who can argue with two women. So, after the deceiving impression that I was coming to repair some plumbing catastrophe, I ended up walking into all these faces that I normally see during Karate classes. I didn’t remember to have karate event scheduled, well… guess what… I didn’t but they did it and it was for me. Old students, new students were there to celebrate 25 wonderful years of teaching karate.

At the beginning, it didn’t sink in me because normally I am the one who has to thank everybody for helping me with everything we do in karate but this time everyone was congratulating me instead THANK YOU!! You always make my days more enjoyable and helped me to appreciative for what I have built in Oshawa and Whitby when I decided to start teaching Karate in 1981 and for founding such wonderful students and parents like you.

Starting with Sensei David Manara from the Toronto Wado-Kai Karate (or TWKK), the person who has been my Sensei for over 30 years came from Toronto to congratulate me and to celebrate with me this special day. Also, Sensei Denis Labbe and Sensei Ron Mattie from the Shintani Wado Kai Karate Federation (or SWKKF), came all the way from Welland and that was a great surprise because since I was a blue belt I trained with them under the guidance of Sensei Masaru Shintani Supreme Instructor and Head of Wado Kai – North America.

That was the icing on the cake that grew in layers with the presents and surprises that continuously were happening. I received a framed congratulation from the Premier of Ontario Dalton McGuinty. A formal Congratulation by Ron Rusky from the Port Perry Club and a framed picture of the young Jose-Carlos Garcia with inscriptions from everyone invited but what really touch me as a present was this beautiful Scrap Book with all these pictures from some of the students and the wonderful messages that they wrote THANK YOU JENNIFER!! You are a trooper Never Give Up!

Well… the surprises kept pouring with old students showing up to the celebration, Daniel Leclerc who started training with me in February 1984 at the age of 4 and a half, Russel Gowans and Lee Mayhew (or is Lee and Russ) from September 1986, Ron Sheyan from 1982, Stephen Zulauf from September 1991, Daniel(1988), Kevin(1989), Doug(1994) and Marlene(1995) Timms but also students from today they were coming even by leaving other engagements, Alex and Ana Galant came with their parents from a wedding they were attending, Anson Burnett traveled from Toronto twice leaving and returning to a wedding, Stephen Zulauf who took time away from his daughter’s birthday to come.

Thank you Alex Munro, Keith Munro, Justin Edmonstone, Jennifer Virgin, Matthew Virgin, Theresa Virgin, Alex Galant, Ryan Weatherilt, Janet Finner, Anna Galant, Kathryn Kuczkowski, Jenny Moore, Adam Moore,Derek Barton, Michael Kuczkowski, and Theresa Kuczkowski for you wonderful and warming messages in the scrap book and Thanks Jennifer for putting all those memories together that you know mean so much to me.

Also, I would like to thank all the parents and students for their help and the wonderful food and desserts they brought that helped making it a memorable day that I will never forget.

Thank you and I hope to see all of you on our 50th Anniversary

Sensei Jose-Carlos Garcia