The CMU cycling team, who won the 2012 D2 National Championship title, hosted a pre-screening of ESPN’s “Right to Play” in the University Center Ballroom last Saturday. Eighty prcent of the proceeds went to the CMU cycling team, and the rest was given back to the Right to Play charity.

The fundraiser began with a raffle in which two ski passes and one CMU cycling kit were given out. Following this, a moment of silence was given for one of the members on the cycling team who tragically crashed last week while riding and is currently in the ICU.

The documentary done by ESPN follows Norwegian speed-skating gold medalist Johann Olav Koss during his Olympic career and then, following his retirement, the establishment of his non-profit organization Right to Play.

The organization’s main mission is to bring sports and other activities to children living in third-world countries.

“The movie kind of speaks for itself. After you’ve seen it, you kind of realize what a perfect world we live in here in the United States of America, and I think that there is a whole world of opportunity out there to do things for people,” Brian Fraherty, a local volunteer for the CMU cycling team, said.

“I enjoyed the film. It was very interesting,” CMU student Cullen Easter said. “I thought it had a great message and made you think about different ways of becoming more efficient at achieving your goals.

“The enthusiasm behind the event made me want to come, plus I know a lot of people on the cycling team and wanted to support the school,” Easter continued.

“I think that the turnout could have been better, but I think for the short amount of time that we had it was good,” sophomore cyclist Gawie Van der Merwe said. “I think that in the future for the next fundraiser it would be better if we prepared for it much longer, and it would benefit the team much more if we had a better turnout.”

CMU’s cycling Coffee Peddlers were providing refreshments for the audience and offering free samples of their coffee grounds.

cchiovit@mavs.coloradomesa.edu