Gold-Medal U.S. Speed Skater Brings Publicity and Donations to Youth Charity

When Joey Cheek of North Carolina won the gold medal for speed skating in Turin last week and donated his $25,000 U.S. Olympic Committee bonus to a charity, the news sped around the world almost as fast as he had circled the ice.

During news interviews, Mr. Cheek praised Right to Play, a charity in Toronto that is led by Mr. Cheek’s hero: Johann Olav Koss, a gold-medalist speed skater.

The nonprofit organization encourages athletic activities in 23 countries, including some of the world’s most impoverished places. Over the past five years it has trained 6,000 local coaches. And the group says it helps a half million children each week through its sports activities and those of collaborating nonprofit groups, which include Unicef and local charities in the countries where it works.

Daily hits to the organization’s Web site doubled to nearly 28,000 the day after Mr. Cheek made his donation; a day after that, the number topped 93,000.

Tommi Laulajainen, a spokesman for the charity, says Right to Play couldn’t buy the kind of publicity it is now enjoying as Mr. Cheek promotes its work. “He spends his media time talking about Right to Play and our work,” the spokesman said. “It’s just amazing.”

Gaining Momentum

Staff members immediately went to work to try to capitalize on the worldwide attention. After Mr. Cheek’s donation, an e-mail newsletter was sent to 4,000 supporters around the world with a lead article on the Olympic gift, Mr. Laulajainen said.

Right to Play staff members in Turin are also collecting equipment and other items from athletes to auction on eBay as another fund-raising tool.

The group last year raised $12.4-million, Mr. Laulajainen said.

Prior to competing in the race he went on to win, Mr. Cheek, 26, met Mr. Koss in Turin, and the two spoke of the potential gift, Mr. Laulajainen said.

Mr. Cheek has said he intends for the money he donated to help programs in the Darfur region of Sudan and Chad. He asked his Olympic corporate sponsors to match what he gave and invited people to visit the Right to Play Web site.

In less than two days, 23 donors had given about $1,500 in matching donations via a special page the charity set up on its Web site to promote Mr. Cheek’s challenge.

And it raised another $4,010 from 46 donors who donated through the charity’s main donations page.

In announcing his decision to donate his winnings, Mr. Cheek credited his mother for teaching him the importance of helping others. And he urged his supporters to do the same, telling them: “I’ve been blessed by the Olympics, I’ve been blessed by living in the greatest country in the world and having the best Olympic Committee. So maybe we can give a little something back.”