In Search of the Human Spirit

Jason McElwain is a Junior at Greece Athena High School. He tried out for the basketball team but was considered too small to play at 5′ 6″. He also has autism, but has not let that stand in his way.

When he lost out on his chance to be on the team, he did the next best thing, he became the Manager.

The coach told Jason to suit up for the last game of the season. He sat on the bench most of the game. When the team was well ahead, Jason got the word. He was going in. Fans cheered and brandishes signs with his photograph on them.

His basketball career didn’t get off to too good of a start. He missed his first couple of shots. Then he got on a roll. He ended up hitting six three pointers. He scored 20 points in four minutes.

Family and friends were thrilled to see the kid they nicknamed “JMac” do so well. He was carried off the court by his teammates while the crowd went wild.

It is horrendous when families learn that their loved one has died in Iraq. On top of grief, many have had to contend with anti-gay protestors who are using funerals to push their agenda.

Soldiers funerals are being sabotaged by a Christian group from Westboro who are using the funerals to stage protests against homosexuality. The group believes God is killing off members of the military to punish America for supporting homosexuality.

A motorcycle club made of of veterans has come to support families in their time of need. As the protestors taunt the mourners by singing and chanting anti-gay slogans, the motocyclists build a barrier between he groups. They rev their motocycle engines so that mourners will not hear the digusting things being said. They allow the families to experience their grief in peace.

The club is called the Patriot Guard Riders and began in Kansas. They are made up of members of the VFW, American Legion, Leathernecks Motorcycle club, as well as other groups.

In August of 2005, they heard about anti-gay protestors showing up at military funerals. They believe that whether you support the war or not, families of slain military members should be allowed to mourn with dignity. They should not be harangued and taunted while burying their dead. The first group rode out in October 2005 with over one hundred riders in their midst. Since that first funeral, their ranks have swelled to over 5000.

Normally, they attend military funerals. However, when the anti-gay protestors planned to protest at the funerals of those who died in the Sago Mine tragedy, the Patriot Guard decided to show up in support of the families.

The club never shows up without an invitation from the mourning family. If they learn that the anti-gay protestors will be at a funeral, they will contact the family to lend their support. Everything they do is on the up and up including making sure local law enforcement officials know they will be on hand.

States cannot prevent protests from protesting. However, several states are considering limits on the distance protestors must be in relationship to funeral processions. Families should be allowed to mourn their dead in the manner they choose. The Patriot Guard Riders is making sure that they do.

Every city in America struggles with what to do with dog poop. Owners are supposed to pick it up and toss it out, but many don’t. Doggie land mines line parks and streets waiting for the unsuspecting pair of tennis shoes. 10 tons of dog waste is thrown out in America every year!

San Francisco is looking for alternative sources of energy. That leftover dog poop may be the answer. The city has begun a pilot program where dog poop left at local parks that dog walkers frequent. Workers will pick up the poop. It will then be processed in something called a methane burner. The methane burner converts the waste into methane gas with the assistance of bugs big and small. Methane is emitted by the bugs after they’ve eaten. That gas can be used to run a turbine which can then convert it to heat and electricity.

Methane burners have been used by farms and agricultural businesses. They are widely used throughout Europe.

4% of household waste in San Francisco comes from animal feces. If the pilot program is a success, the city may have found another source of energy for it’s ever growing population.

Malawi is one of many African nations being ravaged by AIDS. People die from the disease daily. Hospitals are overflowing. Children suffer in as great of numbers as adults.

Treatment has been slow to come to Malawi. Thanks to a partnership between a Canadian organization called “Dignitas International” and the Malawi government AIDS drugs are finally making their way to hospitals and clinics. The founders of DI know the plight of Africans first hand. They’ve all been involved in humanitarian work on the continent prior to forming DI one year ago. They’ve picked the poorest parts of Malawi to begin their work. Their first stop was the poorest town in Malawi called Zomba. It also has the highest rate of AIDs in the nation.

They began their work in Zomba a year ago. They made practical changes such as adding more staff. They’ve also brought the all important ARV drugs so that patients can be treated. The hospital currently runs at 400% occupancy so the assistance is vital.

One AIDS sufferer, Reverend MacPhary Kamwedo, is giving the community hope. He is one of many who has recently received “antiretroviral”, a treatment for AIDS. In just six weeks, he’s seen his life go from bed ridden to bicycle riding.

Government continue to throw money at problems but alot of work needs to be done to get a handle on the AIDs pandemic. Groups like DI bring medical necessities to impoverished regions. They also spread hope which is needed more than anything.

As you previously read, Speed Skater, Joey Cheek, donated his winnings to the organization “Right to Play”. As of Friday, others followed suit. Over $200,000 has been donated! Johann Olav Koss is quoted as saying that with normal fundraising the group could never have dreamed of bringing in so much money.

Cheek’s contributions have not ended. Last night, he won the silver in the 1,000 meters. He then donated the $15,000 prize to Right to Play.

Participating in the Olympics takes mounds of money and years of dedication. Cheek has shown he is an all around winner.

Joey Cheek was just 14 at the time, but remembers watching speed skater, Johann Olav Kloss, win his gold medals in the 1994 Olympics. Right then he knew what he wanted to do with his life. He trained and perfected his speed skating skills. Twelve years later it’s Cheek who is the Gold Medal winner.

Cheek has been inspired by Koss in ways that go beyond speed skating. Koss oversees an organization called “Right to Play”. Right to Play goes to the poorest parts of the globe. It uses sports and games as a tool for improving the lives of children. World class athletes are involved in the program and often travel to these regions to work with the kids directly.

Before Cheek won the gold medal, he felt he needed to use the Olympic platform to do something for others. He contacted Koss, who is President and CEO of Right to Play, and asked how he might help. Before he even competed, he had decided that any winnings would go to the organization.

Cheek skated away with the gold and a $25,000 check. He’s donated the entire amount to Right to Play. Under his direction, the money will be used in the Darfur region of Sudan. He hopes that corporate sponsors will match his donation.

If you’d like to learn more, visit the Right to Play website.

What a treat we all received during the pairs figure skating competition at the Olympics. The first night was nothing to write how about. The second night of the event was pure inspiration and courage.

On the second night, skaters showed their true grit. Maxim Marinin of Russia fought demons from a mistake in 2002. Hongbo Zhao of China had everything riding on his torn achilles tendon. He had only started jumping a week or so before the Olympics. Hongbo and partner, Xue Shen, got their program with only minor errors. The tendon held up. Marinin and partner, Tatiana Totmianina, were flawless if a bit conservative. By the time the last pair took the ice, the Russians were in first and the Chinese were in last.

The last pair, Dan Zhang and Hao Zhang took the ice. They had a new move in their repertoire, something no one had ever tried: A throw quad solchow. The music started and almost immediately they made their attempt. Hao Zhang flew through the air, but she slammed to the ice, smashing her knee and contorting her legs. She crashed into the side of the rink. Her partner helped her slowly hobble off the ice. She could barely move her leg.

It seemed their Olympic dreams were over as they exited the rink. Pain was written all over Zhang’s face. Then a few minutes later, the couple got back on the ice. Zhang decided she would give it another try. At least, they could say the finished their program. The glided over the ice trying to get back into their music. And, then they began. From there it was pure magic. The skated, jumped, and twirled as if there was no tomorrow. Hao Zhang floated over the ice as if she hadn’t even fallen minutes before. She landed her throws better than many of the earlier skaters. Their performance was flawless and when the music ended, they were greeted to a standing ovation which included the other performers and coaches.

When their scores came up, everyone cheered. Zhang’s courage earned them a Silver Medal. She could have walked away from the ice and no one would have faulted her for it. But, she decided to give it a second try. She gave it her all and it turned out to be the performance of their lives.

I have an update on the story that I reported last November, Soldier Saves Dog from War Zone

Sadly, Capt. Smathers has passed away. He was walking his dogs at a local school when he collapsed suddenly. Paramedics tried to revive Smathers but were not successful. He died on the scene.

Smathers’ had endured alot since he returned from Iraq. He had multiple wounds and had gone through seven surgeries. Family and friends reported that things were beginning to look up for Smathers. In fact, he had got another dog to keep Scout company when he was away.

A friend with a big heart has adopted both dogs.

There are more details at InsideBayArea.com

To those who follow the X Games phenom Shaun White is a household name. The kid nicknamed “The Flying Tomato” has dominated snowboarding’s halfpipe since he burst on the scene at the age of 13. He is considered the best in the world. At the wise old age of 19, he had added an Olympic gold to his collection.

The usually cool, calm, and collected White was suddenly overcome by the fact that he was really in the Olympics. His seventh place finish was bad by his standards. But, he pulled himself together in the second qualifier.

He must have worked out all the voodoo by the time the event took place Sunday. When White dropped in, he was nothing less than spectacular. Every move was in place and everything was working. You’d have to be better than perfect to beat his run.

Perhaps even more impressive was the way that White handled himself after competition was over. Some of the Xgamers have a little too much attitude and some of Olympians have a little too much arrogance. There was Shaun White with his arms around his family weeping. Later, at the press conference, he spoke candidly and joked with reporters. He came off more as the typical teenage who lives next door than a world class athlete with the world at his feet. It’s refreshing to see such a down to earth display

Snowboarding is fairly new to the Olympics. It debuted in 1998 at Nagano. The IOC has tweaked the events and requirements since then.

Women Just Wanna Ski Jump

As the Olympics get underway, we’re reminded that women are still trying to get their foot in the door of many sports. The latest battle is over ski jumping, a sport dominated by men since it was added to the Olympics. There are many women ski jumpers throughout the world. So far, the Olympic committee has said “nay” women’s ski jumpers.

The battle has begun to add the sport to in 2010. On one side you have the women athletes who’ve dominated their sport. National champions, Lindsey Van and Allisa Johnson, are at the forefront of the fight with the help of the Women’s Ski Jumpers USA. Also in their corner are other female athletes such as Olympic Gold Medalist, Nikki Stone. Her sport, aerial skiing, was adding in 1998.

On the other side is the IOC (International Olympic Committee). They have rules about when a sport can be added to the Olympics. First, there must be enough competitors world wide to make the event worthwhile. Second, athletes must already be competing in international competitions. While they are behind on putting together international competitions, they have plenty of athletes waiting for the changed. The International Federation of Skiing has 120 women from 14 nations registered. They believe that half can compete at the international level.

In addition to IOC rules, the women will have to overcome gender stereotypes. Some believe that women’s bodies are not built for ski jumping and that they run the risk of serious injury in the sport. One detractor stated that their bones are the same as the men and can’t withstand the rigors of landing. These Neanderthal ideas may be harder to overcome than the actual rules.

Athletes like Johnson and Van are undeterred. They applied for official status in 2006 but were denied. They have reapplied for 2010. There will be international competitions this year, so they will have met one of the IOC’s requirements by 2010. They have a fairly good chance of competing at the Olympic level in four years.