Olympic champion Cheek donates prize money to Darfur!!!

[im10ashus]

What a guy!!! That's an amazing thing to do.

TURIN, Italy (AFP) - US speedskater Joey Cheek credited his decision to donate any prize money from a Winter Olympic gold medal to a Sudanese relief project with helping him capture the 500m title Monday.

Cheek will donate the 25,000 dollars he will receive from the US Olympic Committee for his victory to "Right to Play", an athlete-driven charity organization, with the money earmarked for the battle-ravaged Darfur region.

"I knew if I ever did something like this, I wanted to be able to give something back," Cheek said. "The best way I can say thanks is to donate my money to help somebody else."

Cheek, who will ask each of his handful of sponsors to donate money as well, skated the two best 500m races of his career to win gold in a combined time of 1:09.76, beating runner-up Dmitry Dorofeyev by .65 of a second.

"I don't know how I skated that fast," Cheek said. "At some level, it's empowering to think about someone other than yourself. It's right that I help some people get the chance that I have had.

cont'd...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060214/sp_afp/oly2006sskateusa;_ylt=A86.I0XQ8fFDJ78A5ByQFs0F;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--

[AspenRose]

1. Way cool

That's awesome.

[im10ashus]

4. Isn't it?

Our own government hasn't shown as much compassion. Hopefully this will bring attention to this cause.

[tatertop]

2. this is very cool

[MissB]

3. Well done.

:applause:

[bullwinkle428]

5. Absolutely amazing! This guy is so much more likeable than

that shallow, empty tool Hedrick!

[TornadoTN]

6. Three Cheers for Cheek!

What a stand up guy!

Too bad that our government doesn't give a damn about Darfur, but it is heartening that an Olympian can transcend that and show how benevolent most Americans truly are!

[im10ashus]

8. I hope this brings some attention back to Darfur.

It's only getting worse each day.

[Coexist]

11. me too. It also counters that "we're Bush people" medalist

thanks for the inspiration, sir.

[wicket]

21. I almost barfed when he said that

I'll take this Cheek guy any day over him! :)

[Angry Girl]

12. Yes, it's sorely needed.

Hats, off, Cheeks.

[im10ashus]

15. It IS sorely needed.

More from the article:

"I can take the time to sit up here and gush or I can do something worthwhile."

The humanitarian crisis in Darfur has claimed between 180,000 and 300,000 lives, and displaced more than two million people.

That's a LOT of people killed and displaced.

But there's no oil there so what's the fuss? :sarcasm:

[DiverDave]

26. Jesus...

The humanitarian crisis in Darfur has claimed between 180,000 and 300,000 lives, and displaced more than two million people.

Just sickening, I shuddered when I saw that...this is what our world has come to?

No oil there, so who cares...
I realize that mass slaughters have gone on for centurys, but god damnit, this is 2006...

[im10ashus]

28. Yes.

Quite sad. You say the same thing I said somewhere in this thread. When will there be something done about it if there's no monetary gain for the U.S.

[RufusEarl]

7. Very cool indeed

[stop the bleeding]

9. a beacon in the dark n/t

[Solly Mack]

10. Makes my cheering for him all the sweeter!

What a wonderful thing to do!!!!!

[im10ashus]

13. It was a great race!!!

I love speed skating. He's a lovely man and a wonderful example of what human compassion should be. (I hope the grammar police aren't out. I ended in a preposition) :-)

[Solly Mack]

20. lol! It truly was a great race!

:hi:

[wildeyed]

14. Isn't he the best?

He is from my state, too, from Greensboro. Who'd of thunk, a world class speed skater from NC.

In the article I read this morning, it said that he was interested in running for office someday after he graduated from college...... Representative Cheek? Senator Cheek? Maybe President Cheek?...... Someday......:loveya:

[im10ashus]

17. He started out as an in-line skater.

And made the transition to ice. President Cheek! Like the sound of it.

*please let him be a democrat, please*

[wildeyed]

18. Can you imagine a pub giving away money?

All of it, too. Must be a dem or something close to it.

[im10ashus]

19. Good point.

A pub couldn't find Darfur on the map. Let alone write a check for their crisis.

[malaise]

16. Lovely act

Too cool indeed.

[Gregorian]

22. Cheek is a hero!

Darfur is one of the world's most important problems. I don't care about global warming as much as I do about those people in immediate suffering. Cheek, you are my hero. You used your high profile to make a big statement. Thank you.

[applegrove]

23. He is so right!

[im10ashus]

24. We need about a trillion more like him.

No small feat, I know, but one can dream. :-)

[Dunvegan]

25. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Thank you for being a real American hero, Cheek!

[spanone]

27. Heard him on NPR. I found it amazingly refreshing.

Good on him. He got Nike to toss 30 grand toward the cause also.

[uppityperson]

29. very very very nice, kind, gratious, sportsman to the max

good thing to do.

[im10ashus]

30. They just showed him receiving his medal.

He's such a cute guy to boot.

[Rainscents]

31. AWESOME!!!

:applause: Man of "Humanitarian"! I watched him skate... man, he was flying!

[im10ashus]

32. I KNOW!

He moved like lighting around that rink.

[Catherine Vincent]

33. What a kind soul.