As the Vancouver Olympic Games move toward their finish this weekend, it’s fun to look at some of the charitable support these winter athletes have given to causes near to their hearts. As new faces and names become known to a larger audience, whether draped with a medal or not, with more attention comes an opportunity for greater reach for causes, so expect even more athletes to lend their name and support to causes in the wake of the Games.
Ice Dancers Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto create charity skate shows that support organizations American Cancer Society, and The American Red Cross.
Gretchen Bleiler, the Olympic Snowboarder, works with the National Resources Defense Council.
Freestyle Skiier Emily Cook is an active supporter of Right to Play.
Meryl Davis and Charlie White, silver medalists in Ice Dancing, spend huge amounts of time off-ice working with The American Cancer Society, The Humane Society, March of Dimes, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Figure skater Rachael Flatt partners with Reading is Fundamental.
Chad Hedrick, Bronze in Long Track Speed Skating, works with the Special Olympics of Texas.
Snowboarder Lyndsey Jacobellis does some truly creative work with the ASPCA, even starting her own program, Hats 4 Hounds.
When Todd Lodwick is not training for Nordic Combined, he’s tirelessly supporting Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy, his commitment strengthened by his son, Finn, who has been diagnosed with epilepsy.
Evan Lysacek spun gold in Figure Skating, and his work with Ronald McDonald House (where he is a celebrity board member), and Make-a-Wish Foundation is equally precious.
Julia Mancuso takes the glory of her double silver medal victories in Alpine Skiing to her work with WWF Climate Change.
Steve Nyman, Alpine Skiing, helped build an orphanage in Haiti prior to the earthquake, and works with Team Darfur, and A Child’s Hope Foundation.
Bronze medal Bobsledder Erin Pac supports Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Noelle Pikus-Pace, when not on the Skeleton track, works with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Angela Ruggiero, of the US Hockey Team was the Director of the New York Islanders Project Hope, on the advisory board for the Women’s Sports Foundation, an athlete ambassador for Right to Play, an advisor to Moms Team, and a member of 350.org.
Johnny Spillane who competes in Nordic Combined, works with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
Silver medal Snowboarder Hannah Teter gives proceeds from her Maple Syrup company, Hannah’s Gold, to a Kenyan village, Kirindon, she has adopted and for which she helps provide water, AIDS education and support of AIDS-afflicted mothers, and economic stability.
Figure Skater Johnny Weir is active with the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, and UNICEF.
Snowboarding sensation and double gold medalist, Shaun White, just put his autographed board up for auction with Rachael Ray and her foundation, Yum-o!
More inspiring inforation about celebrity charity giving is found every day at Look to the Stars.
Nicaragua–I’ve always wanted to go. So much still unspoiled, so green and still wild in many parts, a little less “discovered” (read: over traveled) than Costa Rica…
Change by Doing 