Right To Play is a non-governmental organization (NGO) devoted to ensuring marginalized children (girls, children with disabilities, impoverished children, refugees and former child soldiers) get time to learn how to play sports, providing them with guidance, love and teaching them sports values.
I first learned of Right To Play through Clara Hughes, possibly one of my heroes. She is a Canadian athlete who has won medals in both the Summer and Winter Olympics, in bicycling (bronze in 1996) and speedskating (bronze in 2002 and gold in 2006). Up until recently, Canadian athletes did not get money for receiving Olympic medals (that changed recently, though our athletes receive less than the average of other countries). At the time Clara won her medals, she did not receive any money. However, she was inspired by an athlete (Joey Cheek) who donated all his medal winnings to Right To Play. In spite of not receiving money, Clara donated $10,000 of her own money, in honour of her gold medal win, to the charity. How cool is that!
I first learned of Right To Play through Clara Hughes, possibly one of my heroes. She is a Canadian athlete who has won medals in both the Summer and Winter Olympics, in bicycling (bronze in 1996) and speedskating (bronze in 2002 and gold in 2006). Up until recently, Canadian athletes did not get money for receiving Olympic medals (that changed recently, though our athletes receive less than the average of other countries). At the time Clara won her medals, she did not receive any money. However, she was inspired by an athlete (Joey Cheek) who donated all his medal winnings to Right To Play. In spite of not receiving money, Clara donated $10,000 of her own money, in honour of her gold medal win, to the charity. How cool is that!
However, the IOC won't allow Right To Play to promote itself at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, the London 2012 Olympics, nor the 2014 Russian Olympics, as it has been allowed to do at the Olympics since 2000. It has been covered in The Toronto Star, Sports Illustrated and CNN, has been acknowledge on the Right To Play website. 
Yep, that's the Olympic spirit.
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2 comments:
This is ridiculous. Is anyone doing anything to try and get this changed.
I have no idea. Maybe a public letter-writing campaign might convince them to allow Right To Play to promote themselves at the Olympics?
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