The 14th annual Capt. Tamara Long-Archuleta Memorial Open Karate Championships are this Saturday, Oct. 19, at 10 a.m. in the Belen High School gym and hosted by Belen Goju Ryu. Registration for the event will begin at 8:30 a.m. The cost to participate is $35, with an additional $5 charge for every additional event.
Proceeds from the tournament go to the memorial scholarship that was established in her name following her death on active duty in Afghanistan in 2003.
The day will get underway with the opening ceremonies, which will feature an honor guard composed entirely of women veterans, as well as a special flag presentation from Alfredo Gomez of the Rescue Riders Motorcycle Club.
The Rescue Riders are major supporters of the That Others May Live Foundation, which provides support for the families of United States Air Force Rescue after a solider is killed or severely wounded on a mission.
The club has a chapter at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque.
Molly Chavez, who earned her black belt from Belen Goju Ryu, will sing the national anthem.
The tournament will feature over 200 competitors this year and competition will begin with the five-and-under class immediately following the opening ceremony and then move up through the age groups.
There will be six rings in the gym with action in each of them throughout the day. Action is expected to last well into the afternoon, with the black belts set to spar last.
There will also be a raffle to raise money to support the tournament, as well as snack bar to provide refreshments.
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