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Tae Kwon Do Team Members Pose with Chad Smith Front Row: (l to r) Taylor Poe, 10; Dylan Poe, 6; Payle Grogan, 8. Back Row: (l to r) Jeremiah Joice, 17; Wilson Vann, instructor; Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation

TAHLEQUAH, OK - A Tae Kwon Do team, made up of six Cherokeetribal members and a Cherokee instructor, will be the first Native American team to represent the United States at the 2002 World Festival in South Korea, June 28 through July 7.

The Tae Kwon Do students, ages 6-17, had to finish in first or second place at the National competition in Kansas City to qualify to compete at the World Festival in South Korea. All of the competitors are students at Vann's School of Judo in Tahlequah. Many of them have trained for three years for the opportunity to compete at the international level.

"This is the first time for this age group to compete in an international competition," said Wilson Vann, instructor at Vann's School of Judo. "Before the kids had to be 17 years old to participate."

Team members, Dylan Poe, 6, Taylor Poe, 10, Payle Grogan, 8, Jeremiah Joice, 17, Elijah Joice, 16, and John Baluh, 10, are raising money to finance their trip to the World Festival in Korea.

"We've been washing cars, and putting on demonstrations to raise money, just doing anything we can do (to raise money)," Vann said.

The Cherokee Nation has committed to help the helping the group raise money for the trip.

An account has been established at the Bank of Cherokee County to collect donations for the team. For more information or to make a donation contact Wilson Vann, phone: 918-456-4420 or Margaret Peake Raymond, phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2420).