THE RIGHT TO PLAY!

The beginning

Just to be clear, this is not my first Olympics. Apparently at the ripe old age of 3 months I managed to take in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. This began a life-long love of sports that continues today and is a catalyst for so much of what I do, including becoming a big supporter of Right to Play.

It is this support of Right to Play that now has me traveling to Vancouver to do my little part of bringing a worthwhile cause to a larger audience, and immerse myself in the Olympics. I became aware of Right to Play back in 2003, and even got an opportunity in the summer of 2006 to travel to Uganda to see its program in action and witness first hand the incredible impact the program has on children, but also the community at large - many adults find themselves jumping right in, becoming coaches and managers, bringing even further joy to many.

The Right to Play Story

Right to Play actually began about 9 years before I heard about it, in 1994, a direct result of an incredible hometown athlete who was focused on more than just gold (of which he won two - setting world records in both along the way). His name is Johann Olav Koss, a Norwegian speed skater who captured the imaginations of his fellow Norwegians with his two gold medals (and world records) at the Lillehammer Winter Games, and then captured their hearts with his plea for help for a small African nation, Eritrea.

The story as I know it, goes as this - a few months before the Lillehammer games, the organizing committee in Norway was looking for an athlete to travel to Africa as part of a legacy program they were setting up, known I believe, as Olympic Aid. This brought Koss, a gold medal favourite, to Eritrea. Here, he found a moment that forever changed his life, and that of literally thousands of others. See, Johann met the most popular boy at a local school, and it left an impact on him that strengthened his resolve to make a difference, even it was just going to be small. Little did he know.

Anything to play

Why was this boy so popular, and how could he have such an impact? Well it turns out his popularity was based on the fact that he had a long sleeve shirt - the only piece of clothing that could be adequately tied into a soccer ball! The kids didn't have a ball, but it didn't stop them from playing. Johann made a promise to these boys and girls, and himself, that he would return after the Olympics with some equipment for them.

The return

With two gold medals, and the attention of a nation, Johann made his plea - donate a Kroner (roughly the equivelant of a 18 cents Canadian) to help him fulfill his promise to those boys. In just over a week roughly $10 million CDN was raised, enough to fill a jumbo jet full of sports equipment and lay the ground work for what would become Right to Play.

Of course, as the emotion of the 1992 Olympics began to wear off, some naysayers began to question what it was that he was doing, and on the day he left, headlines asked why an athlete was bringing equipment to starving children. A little shaken, but undetered, Koss boarded his plane and headed to Eritrea to fulfill his promise, not too sure how he would be welcomed.

All doubt was erased upon landing as he was met by hundreds of people who had come out to thank him, including the then president of Eritrea, who expressed his gratitude with a hand shake and a message - Thank you. This is the first time we have been seen as people and not just mouths to feed.

And now....

Since then, Right to Play has evolved into one of the largest Non-governmental Organizations, working side-by-side the United Nations in many instances, with a budget of over $30 million dollars and projects in 23 different countries around the world, with numerous supporters, including me, and this guy....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9uU4Bf-smo&NR=1