Karate School Delivers $15K In Christmas Cheer To Brick Family

BRICK, NJ — A Brick Township family received a Christmas Eve gift of more than $15,000, courtesy of the members of a local karate school that raised funds to help them.

Paul Prendergast Karate delivered a check for $15,594.32 to Luke Ray and his family on Monday to help them pay bills that have piled up while Ray has battled a health issue.

The karate school annually holds fundraisers to help families. The Rays, longtime members of the school, had been facing hard times because Ray has been unable to work for more than a year, Prendergast said in a video outlining the fundraising campaign.

Ray owns Luke W. Ray Heating and Cooling. In August 2017, Ray went to the hospital for what was supposed to be routine procedure, Prendergast said. It led to an odyssey of life-threatening complications and more than 30 procedures, and Ray has not worked since.

The fundraiser was through the school's Circle of Hope organization, and on Christmas Eve the check was delivered to the Ray family.

Ray's wife, Lee Ann, commented on Prendergast's post of the check presentation, saying, "I’m speechless right now and have been since you presented that to us."

"Thank you is so very small but I will start with that. Thank you Paul Prendergast, Staff, families and all who thought and donated to our family."

See the family's reaction in the video and social media posts below:

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Paul Prendergast Karate in Brick via Google Maps