NHL players Steve Montador and Andrew Ference went on a week long trip to Tanzania, where they were writing a seven-day diary on the Bruins' official website. There's also a documentary in the making that will air on the NHL Network. Both players among the 300 or so athlete ambassadors for Right To Play, an international charitable organization that uses sport to improve the lives of children and communities affected by war, poverty and disease. Both players returned from Africa changed men forever. They visited orphanages and schools in some of Tanzania's poorest areas where Right To Play has set up programs to try and help the poorest of the poor, many of them infected with HIV or AIDS and most of them without any parents. "I didn't have my bag for the first three days," Montador said Tuesday. "But not having a change of underwear or socks for three days, big deal. I never even thought about it when I was hanging out with those kids and realized they were wearing the same ripped shirt for the past week. "And some didn't have any shoes. It absolutely put things in perspective." Ference, who is also active in the fight against global warming, says he doesn't feel guilty for the life he's been able to lead as an NHL player, but the trip to Africa has taught him he's got absolutely nothing to ever complain about.
Call me crazy, but aren’t these Africa trips becoming pretty cliché for all of the athletes? When you see Ronnie Artest across the Atlantic, you know something is seriously wrong. There are a lot of hungry starving children here in North America who don’t get any publicity because they won’t get your face in the paper. It is tough to help others when you can’t get your own shit in order. To put it into perspective, it would be like Ralph Sampson paying child support for Shawn Kemp’s army of bastard kids.
Instead of doing something good in Africa they really should stay at home and do nothing at all. Mabey get into dog fighting or something, at least they wouldn't be cliche then, right? You are brilliant, or at least I am sure you tell yourself that.
ReplyDeleteare you drunk like a NASA astronaut? Why go help a lost cause when there are kids here who don't eat, get beaten by their parents etc. They said it like it is, there is no publicity in helping white poor North American kids. These Africa trips are a crock.
ReplyDeletePoor white North American kids do get help, it's called our taxes. It's also called our social services provided by our taxes. To call Africa a lost cause proves that you are the kind of person that sees numbers not human beings. I bet you don't even cringe when you see the thousands of killed Iraqi civilians over the past couple years. The people "over there" have just as many rights to a good life as you my friend.
ReplyDeleteSo why don't you leave your computer now and go over there? Bring a lot of bottled water and AIDS vaccines.
ReplyDeleteWow, heated discussion here. FYI, it is a tongue in cheek sport website here. Learn to laugh and not take things so seriously. No one here on the site does.
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ReplyDeleteIf you want cliche'd dribble that isnt informative or interesting, go read the deadspin.
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