Postcard from Honduras: Milky water stirs Mark Richt’s passion to help
A sign clearly marks the dirt road leading to Mark and Katharyn Richt's visit to the small village of San Antonio. (Steve Hummer, steve@ajc.com)
POSTCARD FROM HONDURAS
Mark Richt is nearly 1,400 miles away from the Georgia Bulldogs’ practice fields this week, touring impoverished areas of Honduras served by the Christian charity organization World Vision International. It is his third visit to Honduras , but the first time any media has accompanied him. This week AJC reporter Steve Hummer will be providing daily postcards as the Bulldogs’ coach views the world beyond the narrow focus of football. Look for an in-depth report on Richt’s journey in Sunday’s AJC.
GRACIAS, Honduras — Much of Tuesday’s tour involved areas long served by World Vision, but Wednesday was all about showing the “before” picture of poor rural life in Honduras.
It was an emotion-charged day for the Richts as they visited locations where World Vision had only just arrived. Several times Richt and his wife, Katharyn, choked up while surveying the scene around them. The place that seemed to evoke the most reaction lay at the end of a half-mile hike from a school in the village of San Antonio.
The source of water for San Antonio is a two level concrete catch basin, its contents looking more like milk than water. (Steve Hummer, steve@ajc.com)
At walk’s end was the main community water source — a two-tiered catch basin collecting a trickle of milky, almost opaque water from up the hillside. The top basin was for drinking water, the lower one for washing clothes.
All the need around him seemed to light a real fire in Richt. Meaning that if you are a Bulldog, prepare to hear and see appeals from the coach and his wife to help out this cause.
To a gathering of school children in San Antonio, Richt said, “I coach American football and our fans are very passionate about our team, just like Honduras’ fans are passionate about their football versus Mexico [there was a big match between the two Wednesday night].
“I’m going to challenge our people to get involved to help this community. I think they’ll take the challenge.”
The Bulldogs just gained a whole new set of supporters. Knowing that happy fans make better donors, Zack Aspegren, World Vision’s National Director of Philanthropy declared, “Believe me, I am an Oklahoma Sooners fan, but this year I am a Georgia Bulldog fan, big time.”
– Steve Hummer
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123 comments Add your comment
Ringleader
June 23rd, 2011
9:36 am
I have no problem at all with the trip to Central America. But, I do see a commitment problem with it being in June. That is when all the SEC schools have their football camps, that is when you should have the
recruits on campus, that is when your team is doing their “independent” workouts. Where is the head coach, Oh his is in Honduras. You can
clearly see where the priorities are.
Tod Dawg
June 23rd, 2011
9:41 am
Richt gets paid a lot of money for what has become a mediocre program lately full of talented yet undisciplined players.
Truth Shall Prevail
June 23rd, 2011
9:43 am
100% Amen Terry!
BigRedDAWG
June 23rd, 2011
9:46 am
MARK MY WORDS!
CMR wil have the Dawgs in the SEC Champ game this year and back to our rightful place of playing for our 6th National Championship in 2012. Why? Because GA has the best high school football talent in the country and the Dawgs get the ones they want – that can qualify for an elite school two.
I know because I played high school ball in Cobb Co. and would have been a Dawg but blew out my knee my softmore season.
The Dream Team will take us back to the promised land.
Hey, gaters – kiss the ring!
McDawg
June 23rd, 2011
9:48 am
we don’t need upates from Honduras unless you have absolutley nothing else to talk about
Truth Shall Prevail
June 23rd, 2011
9:50 am
KF77 100% Amen. CMR is not the problem.
AltamahaDawg
June 23rd, 2011
9:59 am
BuLLdawg with a pointless rant at 2:30 in the morning. What a surprise.
gOOSE cREEK dAWG
June 23rd, 2011
10:00 am
Richt trumpeting his charity work.
DostaDawgsta
June 23rd, 2011
10:01 am
If you want to help the ppor, fine, why bring media along? Seems fake.
Douglas Dawg
June 23rd, 2011
10:02 am
Jaydawg, do you take a vacation from your job ? What an idiot. I want the Dawgs to win just as much as the next Dawg fan, but Really bro. One week off is going to cost us a season?
AltamahaDawg
June 23rd, 2011
10:06 am
No Ringleader, we don’t see your poiunt. Do you have a problem with Saban on vacation playing golf at his million dollar lakehouse this week?
gOOSE cREEK dAWG
June 23rd, 2011
10:10 am
If they’re bring in Zach Aspegren, must be a $500,000+ potential donation. Zach got $500,000 from Wal Mart.
From a Gator Fan
June 23rd, 2011
10:12 am
I applaud CMR for what he’s doing and for the attention he’s bringing to scenes that most of us would rather look away from. Football is a game, kids without clean drinking water is real life.
big john 360 lbs
June 23rd, 2011
10:13 am
Tod Dawg- “Big John” Jenkins weighs 360. I weigh 180. I’m not what you call “religious”, I believe what CMR is doing is living out his faith and much more than practicing religion. It’s based on a day by day relationship with the One who died on a cross for you and me.
DawginLex
June 23rd, 2011
10:17 am
to the idiot bashing the other guy for not knowing who Fran is:
It is Tarkenton, not Tarkington
Who is the moron now?
And BTW, “Tarkenton”, while a great player in his day, needs to grow a set. His drive by shooting on talk radio without going and sitting down with Coach Richt displayed his true character.
A DGD has turned into a vacuum cleaner salesman, herbal therapy salesman, party ring salesman and spokesman for Ronco with no guts.
Pathetic.
old time dog
June 23rd, 2011
10:19 am
Good and kind deeds are something we all should strive for and do in our lives. Coaching UGA football is another entity altogether. Richt has been fortunate to have survived as long as he has when it is evident he was not on top of his responsibilities as required. If this year is indicative of the past few seasons then a change should be made. Folks can and will argue about his success and failure. I just have never felt he provided much other than recruiting ability and perhaps evidently committed to running a rule abiding approach overall. His coaching and having his team prepared each week has lacked considerably. There are several SEC coaches I feel understand the game and how to neutralize and attack opponents much better. Critical? Maybe so, but can any true UGA fan be so blind as not to see his shortcomings?
coaches by the numbers
June 23rd, 2011
10:19 am
http://coachesbythenumbers.com/coach-rankings/
Dawg Time
June 23rd, 2011
10:19 am
This is the year of the Dawg—florida’s run is over! Ga will beat fla easily this year—they lost a bunch of top talent and Ga is loaded. Look for an early upset over USC in Athens and a 17 point win over florida. Dawgs win the SEC east and play alabama for the title—mark it down!
gOOSE cREEK dAWG
June 23rd, 2011
10:22 am
Steve,
For Pete sake, please kick off the Dawgin Lex poster going on about Tarkenton in an article about Richt’s charity work.
Thank, none of us can bear reading your blog when this guy puts up drivel that’s so unrelated to your topic.
TheAntiMe
June 23rd, 2011
10:23 am
Well, regardless of all other concerns, obviously Mark Richt isn’t hurting anyone by going to Honduras. If it just so happens that people get food or water that they did not have before, were I in their place I could suffer through a sermon if I had to.
@dostadawg
June 23rd, 2011
10:29 am
The media requested access, and what better way to bring attention to a cause?
TDTown
June 23rd, 2011
10:40 am
Matthew 6:2:
When then you give money to the poor, do not make a noise about it, as the false-hearted men do in the Synagogues and in the streets, so that they may have glory from men. Truly, I say to you, They have their reward.
D BAG TROLLS!
June 23rd, 2011
10:52 am
ALLOWING ARTICLES TO BE BLOGGED THAT ARE TRUE STORIES OF MAN HELPING MAN IS NOT NECCESSARY ajc!!!!!!!!!!!! WHEN ARE YOU CLOWNS GOING TO REALIZE THAT MOST OF THESE SO CALLED BLOGGERS ARE THE SAME PERSON UNDER DIFFERENT HANDLES SITTING IN A DARK DORM ROOM DOWNTOWN THAT SMELLS WEIRD?
CMR IS A GREAT LEADER AND EXAMPLE FOR MANKIND! FOOTBALL IS REALLY NOTHING IN THE BIG PICTURE OF LIFE! IT WILL BE FUNNY WHEN UGA CHEWS YOU LITTLE TROLLS UP THIS SEASON.
BigRedDAWG
June 23rd, 2011
11:03 am
MARK MY WORDS!
CMR wil have the Dawgs in the SEC Champ game this year and back to our rightful place of playing for our 6th National Championship in 2012. Why? Because GA has the best high school football talent in the country and the Dawgs get the ones they want – that can qualify for an elite school two.
I know because I played high school ball in Cobb Co. and would have been a Dawg but blew out my knee my softmore season.
The Dream Team will take us back to the promised land.
Hey, gaters – kiss the ring!
Vulture
June 23rd, 2011
11:04 am
Wow! Who would have thought that this article would have caused this much anger.
Lack of Perspective
June 23rd, 2011
11:05 am
TD Town – I think you’ve missed the point. Calling attention to the world’s poor and rallying support for their cause is not the same as religiosity for the sake of public attention and praise, which is what that verse refers to. Look at the number of loons on this site, CMR knew that he’d receive plenty of criticism for spending a week away from his football duties.
rs
June 23rd, 2011
11:11 am
That great he is doing something good on his vacation.There is more to life than football.da
D BAG TROLLS!
June 23rd, 2011
11:11 am
ALLOWING ARTICLES TO BE BLOGGED THAT ARE TRUE STORIES OF MAN HELPING MAN IS NOT NECCESSARY ajc!!!!!!!!!!!! WHEN ARE YOU CLOWNS GOING TO REALIZE THAT MOST OF THESE SO CALLED BLOGGERS ARE THE SAME PERSON UNDER DIFFERENT HANDLES SITTING IN A DARK DORM ROOM DOWNTOWN THAT SMELLS WEIRD?
CMR IS A GREAT LEADER AND EXAMPLE FOR MANKIND! FOOTBALL IS REALLY NOTHING IN THE BIG PICTURE OF LIFE! IT WILL BE FUNNY WHEN UGA CHEWS YOU LITTLE TROLLS UP THIS SEASON.
big john 360 lbs
June 23rd, 2011
11:13 am
Well said Lack of Perspective. I’ve been to Honduras 3 times and taken my wife and two children. I wanted my kids to see just how blessed they are to be living in the USA. Most of the folks criticizing have no clue what it is like in these impoverished countries. I would challenge every Christian man to go on a mission trip.
JoJo
June 23rd, 2011
11:13 am
Matthew 19:21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Will Richt sell all his possessions and give it to the poor?
Hiding behind my keyboard
June 23rd, 2011
11:18 am
For those that are haters of the UGA staff and program go spend your time sticking needles in the eyes of dead catfish or something……….
UGA is back and you know it and it scares most and makes the others angry!
CMR is a stand up person and the media surrounding this trip is to make the rest of you understand the importance of helping and sharing.
JoJo
June 23rd, 2011
11:20 am
Coach Richt makes $3 million a year, but when Spurrier suggested coaches give kids a few hundred per game, Coach Richt voted against giving his money to players.
Coach Richt also cursed out a fan at a Bulldog Club in Macon a few weeks ago.
Dawglasville
June 23rd, 2011
11:20 am
TDTOWN – Matthew 5:14 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Why would you use bible bullets to try to shoot someone down who is doing the Lord’s work. I believe this with all my heart, Coach Richt knows where he stands with God. When his coaching career ends, whether that is one year or 30 years, he will have peace.
D BAG TROLLS!
June 23rd, 2011
11:22 am
REALLY? ALLOWING ARTICLES TO BE BLOGGED THAT ARE TRUE STORIES OF MAN HELPING MAN IS NOT NECCESSARY ajc!!!!!!!!!!!! WHEN ARE YOU CLOWNS GOING TO REALIZE THAT MOST OF THESE SO CALLED BLOGGERS ARE THE SAME PERSON UNDER DIFFERENT HANDLES SITTING IN A DARK DORM ROOM DOWNTOWN THAT SMELLS WEIRD?
CMR IS A GREAT LEADER AND EXAMPLE FOR MANKIND! FOOTBALL IS REALLY NOTHING IN THE BIG PICTURE OF LIFE! IT WILL BE FUNNY WHEN UGA CHEWS YOU LITTLE TROLLS UP THIS SEASON.
Dawglasville
June 23rd, 2011
11:27 am
JoJo – if Richt, you, me, any of us were perfect we wouldn’t need Jesus. Don’t let the hate eat you up.
JoJo
June 23rd, 2011
11:28 am
Richt thinks it’s ok to curse out a fan, 3 times, at the Macon club, and then turn around and go on a mission trip a few weeks later.
Here’s the cursing article, if ya’ll want to see the other side of Mark Richt.
http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/2011/04/29/mark-richt-gets-feisty-with-whiny-fan-at-macon-bulldog-club-meeting/
Big Dawg
June 23rd, 2011
11:33 am
Terry,
Thank you for the passages from Matthew, but not all of us are GOD’s Children— as the scriptures are very clear that we are all YAHWEH’s creation but only those who have accepted JESUS as the LORD of their life and thus the SAVIOR of their soul have the right to be called children of GOD. It is not what we do but what our FATHER YAHWEH and our Brother, Lord and Savior JESUS has done.
Coach Richt and his wife Katharyn going on these missions is doing GOD’s will I hope and pray that they are blessed in overwhelming abundance by our FATHER for their faithfulness.
I also hope and pray he has righted the ship at UGA and once again we will be talking about winning Championships for our Dawgs.
Go Dawgs
JoJo
June 23rd, 2011
11:34 am
cOACH rICHT WAN’T WILLING TO GIVE 10% OF HIS INCOME TO HELP PLAYERS. sPURRIER AND ALMOST EVERY OTHER SEC COACH THAT MAKES MILLIONS WAS.
http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/2011/06/01/steve-spurrier-proposes-that-coaches-pay-players-a-game-bonus-out-of-their-own-pockets/
Dawglasville
June 23rd, 2011
11:39 am
JoJo – Moses killed a man. Noah got drunk. David committed adultry and had his right hand man killed so he could take his wife. Abraham disobeyed God three times. Those are just a few of the biggest hitters in the bible. Again, don’t let your hatred for UGA consume you.
Albert
June 23rd, 2011
12:00 pm
“curse out a fan”?? Richt said “h*ll” three times, never at the fan but as emphasis in response to the fan’s questioning of Richt, and Richt later apologized for using the word. You’re reaching, JoJo. And I’m a Gator fan. Give it a rest.
Locust
June 23rd, 2011
12:16 pm
Mark Richt doesn’t care about players too much wh arn’t his favorites.
Didn’t show any compassion to Mettenberger like Miles did.
Didin’t show any love to Ealey when he kicked him ofthe team for dumb reasons.
Richt definately can be a cold guy to players, no doubt.
http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/2011/05/09/uga-starting-tb-washaun-ealey-granted-unconditional-release-by-bulldogs/
oledawg
June 23rd, 2011
12:42 pm
UGA is extremely lucky to have Mark Richt. He is not perfect…only Jesus Christ was or ever will be. He is a man that has made mistakes and he will make more. If you are the parent of a young male recruit, who do you want shaping your son’s life? I know my choice. I never thought I would live long enough to see a man peresecuted for being a christian. Some of you are persecuting Coach Richt for being a christian. Saban and Spurrier are playing golf this week and they are not being persecuted. By the way, he is the most successful football coach in the history of UGA. I am not perfect and my christian walk pales in comparison to CMR. I have always heard, “If the Devil is not attacking you, he already has you in his camp.” From the attacks on here it looks like the Devil has a lot of work to pull CMR down. UGA fans: Do not confuse christianity with weakness. CMR is a competitive man and he has his priorities right. He will return to Athens energized and ready to lead the Dawgs on a butt kicking tour! Thank you Coach Richt!
D BAG TROLLS!
June 23rd, 2011
12:45 pm
JoJo, Locust and many other handles is the same person that smells weird and lives on the plains. His arguments are very childish with no depth!
Old Dawg
June 23rd, 2011
1:05 pm
With few exceptions, Div I coaches take a couple weeks off in late June and early July. It’s really the only time they have. If any of y’all drive done to Lake Oconee, you’ll see coaches from all over the SEC, ACC, other conferences and the NFL playing golf.
CMR has said many times that he doesn’t like golf, so he uses his time off to help others.
Recruiting, strength and conditioning continue to go on in Athens and they’re run by assistant coaches. I don’t know what the dates are for head coaches and contacting or not contacting recruits, but there are times of the year when they can’t. Perhaps this is that time of the year.
In other words, CMR being away for a couple of weeks won’t impact this season’s results. The coaches cannot work with the players on the field … the players schedule their own sessions and those things are coordinated by the coaches after spring training with leaders targeted to get it done.
Hell, even the president of the United States takes time off, as do the CEOs of major corporations. It’s a little thing called life! Perhaps some of y’all should experience it!
Gillislee
June 23rd, 2011
1:22 pm
Mark “2-8″ Richt is a nice man
kevin
June 23rd, 2011
1:25 pm
Nice of Mark Richt to help the less fortunate.
Terry
June 23rd, 2011
1:24 am
You say “Lets all remember, God don’t care who we are in life, just that we serve him, and him only. I’m a Dawg Fan, but I’m not stupid enough to think God has favorites God loves all his Children.”
Yeah, he sure seems to love the children is gives cancer to, let’s get blown up by roadside bombs, live in filth, poverty and starve and on and on. Yeah, he loves them equally–just has a funny way of showing it. Seriously?!
kevin
June 23rd, 2011
1:28 pm
that should have read, “he sure seems to love the children he…”
Angus
June 23rd, 2011
2:21 pm
Thank goodness humanity has no culpability in any of those things, right Kevin?
Jaydawg
June 23rd, 2011
2:24 pm
When did the AJC sports section turn into a place to have a debate on BIBLE scripture and moral standing? Jaydawg sayeth “letteth the people that getteth off on spewing their religous knowledge & moral standing taketh it somewhere else because it does not belongeth here nor do most frequenting this section giveth a rats ass!”Amen.
snoop dog
June 23rd, 2011
2:28 pm
jay dog,shut up