Female weightlifters are lifting up female Dreamers at the Iron Maidens Raw Open
The female-only Iron Maidens Raw Open partnered with Grace Outreach on an annual fundraiser.
Female weightlifters raised money to help DACA recipients go to college at the 2018 Iron Maidens Raw Open in Brooklyn. Zach Williams
On a typical day at Grace Outreach, women pursue their education from classrooms within the Bronx-based nonprofit's offices. But for the last three years, a Brooklyn weightlifting event has also played a role as well in helping immigrant women achieve a college education.
The female-only Iron Maidens Raw Open partnered with Grace Outreach three years ago on an annual fundraiser that funds a college scholarship for female DACA recipients. For the first two years, fundraising exceeded goals, but the 2018 event on June 2 posed a new challenge – a $40,000 fundraising goal that would fund two more scholarships if met.
It's not just about the money. Bringing together female weightlifters and DACA recipients also puts into action two qualities that are vital to the success of each, according to Danae Mcleod, executive director of Grace Outreach.
"The grit and determination that it takes for women weightlifters to compete is similar to the grit and determination that undocumented women who are pursuing an education show," she said in an interview with New York Nonprofit Media.
The following video shows what happened at the event, whether or not Grace Outreach met its fundraising goal – and what it all means in the end.