The Stronghold awarded top fundraising team. Photo: Tap Cancer Out

On Jan. 17 the Tap Cancer Out Winter BJJ Open was held in San Diego, CA. Unlike a regular tournament, competitors could opt for fundraising instead of simply purchasing the registration fee. There were also opportunities to donate and fundraise as an individual and as a team.

In total, the tournament raised over $16,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding childhood cancer research. The top individual fundraiser was Samuel Martinez of Moore Jiu-Jitsu and the team award for fundraising went to The Stronghold. There were 72 fundraisers and 362 donors total and because of this event’s contributions, Tap Cancer Out has now raised over $100,000 for St. Baldrick’s Foundation since 2014.

But it wasn’t only the charity who received donations–the family of Jeremy Montes Jr., a young Jiu-Jitsu competitor who recently passed away from cancer, received $500 from the event via shirt sales by DeuS Fight Co. You can still purchase the shirt here.

The team totals from the competition are as follows:

1. The Stronghold – 78 points
2. Checkmat – 52 points
3. Victory MMA – 45 points

See full list of divisions winners here.

Learn more about Tap Cancer Out and follow their tournament schedules at www.tapcancerout.org

Tap Cancer Out, a Jiu-Jitsu based 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, in partnership with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, will host a grappling tournament to benefit the fight against pediatric cancer.

The event, Tap Cancer Out Winter Open, will be held at the University of San Diego Sports Center on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015. This will be Tap Cancer Out’s fifth Jiu-Jitsu Open since 2013 and its first event in California.

In addition to merchandise sales, sponsorships, and cash donations, Tap Cancer Out raises money and awareness by hosting grappling tournaments.

Recently, at the Tap Cancer Out Boston Summer Open, the organization announced that they will donate over $97,000, the largest gift to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation by a charity partner.

For this tournament there will be male and female divisions in both gi and no-gi. There will be no registration on the day of the tournament so you must register prior.

There are two ways to register:

If you are able to raise $250 or more in donations via the Tap Cancer Out fundraising platform then you can compete for free.

If you choose to pay the registration fee, you can register now for the early bird discount of $40 per person for one division or $56 per person for two division. After Dec. 17 the registration fee will be go up.

For anyone interested in more information about Tap Cancer Out or how to participate in future events, please visit: www.tapcancerout.org.

For anyone interested in making a donation, please visit: https://www.classy.org/san-diego/events/tap-cancer-out-2015-winter-bjj-open/e38500

For anyone interested in volunteering, please contact: oliver@tapcancerout.org