As we emerge from National Quarantine due to Covid 19, it is possible to look back on the year and be inspired by the tremendous fund raising challenges, mostly virtual that have occurred. Most notably here in Britain, Captain Sir Tom Moore at the age of 100 years old raised over 30 million for the National Health Service, by walking up and down his garden in Bedford, not far from where I live.

The recent acquisition of our own Drala Jong Retreat Centre is now giving us as a World wide Sangha another fund raising purpose to renovate, build, plant, paint, craft, design and enjoy.

We are tremendously grateful to the extreme generosity of the Sangha to enable us to purchase the land and building, but now we are looking outwards to raise funds for future work. For this reason, we would like to offer the Iron Ox Challenge.

The Iron Ox Challenge, running from May to end of October will give the worldwide members of the Sangha the opportunity to complete a challenge to be sponsored by their friends, family and work colleagues.

One can be creative, design a challenge or as Ngak’chang Rinpoche suggests,

‘The Brobdingnagian could lose weight for example . . . or the extremely shy, retiring, reticent, inhibited could recite my poetry—socially distanced—extremely loudly in public places . . .’

If you are good at maths, or math, you could work out the number of steps to make 111 virtual khora of the Great Chöten of Boudhnath, Climb 3,120 m on your stairs at home to reach Taktsang, dance the tango, run a marathon, cycle, walk, bake, throw 111 axes, I am going to be a Garuda and play in the clouds 333 times. The choices are numerous and your inspiration will inspire others to support you.

So, pick a sponsored challenge for Drala Jong, you will be performing the hard part, completing the challenge but all your sponsors have to do is donate via our special Iron Ox campaign page or our Drala Jong Donation Page.

If you feel like posting on social media your Iron Ox challenge please feel welcome to use the following hash tags

#IronOxChallenge #DralaJong #IronOxChallengeDralaJong

For further information or social media support, please contact me, Naljorma ö-Sel or anyone on the Fundraising Team.

Enjoy Your Iron Ox Challenge