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Wednesday, June 18, 2003

By Monica L. Haynes, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Richard Spear took a circuitous route to Washington, D.C. -- via Cali, Colombia.

	Richard Spear, director of intramural sports at Duquesne University, was named a Community Champion here in January for his work with a girls' orphanage in Cali, Colombia. (Annie O'Neill, Post-Gazette)

Spear, a Community Champion Jefferson Award Winner from Bridgeville, is representing Western Pennsylvania at the national Jefferson Awards in Washington, D.C., this week. The director of intramural sports at Duquesne University has made caring for the 110 girls of the Cali Orphanage for Girls in Cali, Colombia, part of his life's mission for the past five years.

His fund-raising efforts have resulted in a new dormitory, classrooms and a bakery among other facility improvements. Spear, his wife and friends are also paying for several girls from the orphanage to attend medical, dental and nursing schools.

"I'm very appreciative of being given the opportunity to be here," Spear said from his hotel room.

He is one of two Jefferson Award winners representing Pennsylvania.

The Post-Gazette, Comcast and Eat'n Park, with help from the United Way, sponsor Community Champions, a program of the National Jefferson Awards. From those 50 nominees come the Jefferson Award winners, who receive a medallion and $1,000 for the nonprofit organization of their choice.

The Jefferson Awards were created by the American Institute for Public Service to recognize extraordinary public and community service efforts. The awards are presented on two levels: national and local. National winners include former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C.

Spear is one of 59 local Jefferson Award winners representing the 50 states. Out of the local winners, five will be selected to receive the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award. The former first lady was one of the founders of the American Institute for Public Service.

Monday night during a dinner to honor the awardees, each was given a few minutes to talk about his or her work.

Weighing on his mind is a decrease in donations for the orphanage. "Foundations are no longer giving as much as they once gave."

Contributions from foundations have dropped by 80 percent, Spear said. In addition to funding the orphanage, Spear, his wife, Janet, and some friends are putting a young Cali woman through medical school, one through dental school and six through nursing school. "Coming up with the money to send the girls to school has become a problem," he said.

Still, he hasn't let money issues deter him from expanding his efforts in Cali. Next Monday, he'll head back to help Sister Elsa Ayala, a Colombian nun, open an orphanage for abandoned babies.

Contributions to the Cali Orphanage for Girls can be sent to Richard Spear, Athletic Department, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh 15282.

Monica Haynes can be reached at mhaynes@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1660.