I don’t follow sports. In earlier years I would somewhat follow the Olympics but I can’t stomach it because it has become so corporate and commercial.
But I wanted to highlight what I consider a “hit” in today’s Olympics news.
Gold Medalist American speedskater Joey Cheek is donating his $25,000 gold medal bonus to an organization that provides aid to refugee children living in camps in Chad who have fled what is being called a genocide in the neighboring Darfur region of Sudan.
Cheek believes in the mission of the Right to Play organization which is based in Toronto and uses sports as a venue to teach children basic health, hygiene and HIV-AIDS prevention. It provides vaccinations and also conducts sport-related activities for physical and emotional development.
Cheek, from Greensboro, N.C., said he will visit Chad later this winter and is more motivated than ever to win another medal.
“I think on some level it is empowering to think of someone other than yourself,” he said. “What I do is honestly a pretty ridiculous thing. I mean, I skate around the ice in tights.
“But because I skated well and have a few seconds of microphone time, I have the ability to hopefully raise some awareness and raise some money. Maybe it will put some kids, God willing, on a path that I’ve been blessed with.”
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 