Fundraiser to ‘Kick Cancer’s Butt’ to be held July 15

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

A Harker Heights martial arts studio and a Copperas Cove candy store are joining together on Saturday, July 15 to help a local woman battling cancer for the third time. 

Linda McMurray, wife of Grandmaster Jimm McMurray, who owns House of Discipline in Harker Heights, has had a third recurrence of cancer. 

Through the efforts of 13-year-old Arial Draper, a student at House of Discipline, both the studio and Candy Outfitters in Copperas Cove will hold a joint fundraiser to help McMurray pay for her treatments. 

The event kicks off at 11 a.m. at the store, located in the Frontier Hills Plaza at 185 W. Bus. 190 in Copperas Cove.

There will be martial arts schools performing demonstrations outside, and a kicking bag will be set up throughout the day for 3 kicks for $1. Then at the end of the day from 6-8 p.m., there will be a kicking competition. 

Draper talked about how she decided to help her grandmaster’s wife with the event.

“In a family, everybody takes care of each other. Taekwondo is the same way; everyone takes care of one another. When Grandmaster Jimm McMurray’s wife, Linda, was diagnosed with cancer for the third time, the Taekwondo community bonded together to help,” said Draper. “Being in this community, I wanted to pitch in and help as well. As a result, I began planning the fundraiser Kick Cancer’s Butt: Kickathon.” 

McMurray, who is also a member of the Five Hills Art Guild, was diagnosed twice before with breast cancer, first at age 29 and again at age 33. She first joined the House Of Discipline when she was 25, where she met McMurray, who years later became her husband. It was during her time with taekwondo she found out she had breast cancer. Her doctors had noted that she was in martial arts and asked her if she would be able to control her breathing and blood flow during a biopsy. 

“Being only a greenbelt at the time, she went to Grandmaster McMurray for help. He showed her how to properly control her breathing and blood flow. After her biopsy, she underwent a number of other treatments including a lumpectomy, a lymph node biopsy, and the implantation of radioactive seeds,” Draper said. The second time she was diagnosed, Linda had contracted a small cell cancer and this round of treatments and surgery was harder than the last, Draper added. 

Now, 44 years later, Linda has cancer yet again for the third time, small cell lung cancer (SCLC), which has been treated with both radiation and chemotherapy.

Candy Outfitters has provided opportunities in the past for fundraisers like the kickathon. 

“As a small business owner we understand the importance of getting involved and hosting events to help out where we can. We utilize our professional platforms to help bring awareness, giving folks an opportunity to also get involved. Hosting an event like this is very special and we couldn’t do it without the support of the community,” said Jennifer White, owner of Candy Outfitters.