Christian athletes rally for earthquake victims
Christian athletes offered an insight to their personal and spiritual side, and rallied together in support of a humanitarian cause ont Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2001 at the Spirit and the Sport celebrity dinner, held at Carmen's Banquet Centre.
More than 250 people came to listen to Tiger-Cats' defensive lineman Joe Montford and offensive tackle Seth Dittman, Toronto Argonaut quarterback Jimmy Kemp and veteran vintage modified racer Gary Elliott.
The evening's lively and entertaining master of ceremonies was Herbie Kuhn, the Air Canada Centre's 'Voice of the Toronto Raptors,' while the sports celebrities were interviewed by Steve Kearns, who played pro football from 1980-85 with B.C. and Hamilton, and is currently the team chaplain for the Tiger-Cats, Argos and Raptors.
"Before I came to know Christ, the things that were most important in my life were to be good in sports and to be good in school," said Cats' Seth Dittman, who stands 6'7" and 320 pounds.
"I could be ruthless because if you beat me, it was personal. Sometimes I still wrestle with issues like that. In an athletic setting, it's easy to let ego and pride run away on you. But the difference now is that I play as hard as I can to glorify Him."
Joe Montford, who joined the Cats when the Shreveport Pirates folded after the '95 season, recalled that "my first reaction when I heard Hamilton had picked me up in the dispersal draft was to pick up a map. My second reaction was to grab mounds of clothes, fur coats and a toque.
"But this has been the best place for me. I have grown to love Hamilton, and being here has given me the opportunity to meet lots of Christian brothers. I don't think the fans fully understand the love we have for players of other teams."
As a new father, Montford's advice to all parents is "when you get down on your knees to pray, leave your door open so your kids can see you pray. What a huge difference it makes when kids see their parents praying."
Now in his eighth CFL season, and his third year with the Argos, Jimmy Kemp said that "growing up in a family of quarterbacks, I didn't know there was any other position."
Kemp's dad Jack played for the Buffalo Bills in the '60s and was also a US Congressman and vice-presidential candidate, while older brother Jeff played in the NFL with Los Angeles, San Francisco and Philadelphia.
"As a quarterback, the team looks to you as a leader. You have to convey confidence, but my greatest confidence is not in my own abilities but in God's."
But it's not just Christian football players who compete under the watchful eye of fans.
"When someone cuts you off, or bumps you into the infield, now that's the part that takes discipline. Everyone is watching to see if you can control your temper, because they know you're a Christian," says Flamborough resident Gary Elliott, the 1989 and '99 vintage modified racing champion.
A live auction conducted by Waterdown's Jim McCartney, plus a silent auction, helped to push the evening's proceeds to $24,000.
Marcia Mantel from the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee explained the money will go toward rebuilding homes in the Central America nation of El Salvador following two major earthquakes earlier this year. More than 300,000 homes were destroyed, leaving nearly a quarter of the population homeless.
"It is less than three months until Christmas, but before Christmas arrives families in El Salvador will be moving into the new homes which are made possible by the involvement of the sports celebrities and those who came to hear them," said Brabant Newspapers publisher Cal Bosveld, one of the event's organizers.
Along with hearing from the celebrities, those in attendance were entertained by soloist Ashlyn VanderVeen and pianist Hillary Hulzinga.
