Kendo: I need your help!

Hello everyone! I know I've talked about Kendo a little bit before, but let me just say, I love it so much. We have club for a couple hours everyday, training hard and encouraging each other, and I have never felt so connected by a sport in my life. A few weeks ago, I got to start training with the other club members in full armor, this is what I look like:

The thing around my waist reads: "Toyohashi East High School / Maggie"

Don't I look awesome? It's supper hot inside all that so we're all very careful and drink lots of water, but finally being able to be hit and really practice hard alongside everyone and one-on-one with the teachers is amazing. Do you notice the shirt and pants I'm wearing? They're called (ken)dogi and hakama respectively, and they have been lent to me by one of my teachers. See the shinai (bamboo sword)? It's also been lent to me by a teacher.

I kinda need to give them back and get my own.

My first competition is August 24th, a scary and exciting date that I've been working hard to prepare for, but there are a few problems: the teacher who lends me my hakama needs to wear them that day, and the shinai I use is old and not made specifically for me. The solution: buy my own.

Of course, once I have my own I will continue to use them for the rest of the year, and also when I return to the US. (Do you KNOW how many Kendo associations there are in Oregon alone? It's amazing.) What better way to keep my connection to Japan open, make the return to the west easier, and stay in shape than to continue sweating away in a rigorous sport?

So, I'm sorry to do this again, and I know that I have yet to send letters back to the donors for my vaccine (there's been some trouble finding my file with all your names and addresses in it over the phone portion of skype,) but I would ever be grateful. Tell your friends, tell your senators, I'm excited for next month.
And please, have them all help me out: http://www.gofundme.com/maggies-kendogear  Thank you!

Who wouldn't be? Kendo tournaments are awesome! Take a look: