Good cause for getting a workout

Perhaps I take more notice of this type of thing because I sort through submissions for our Local Sports Calendar, but our area appears to do a pretty good job of combining athletics and philanthropy.

It seems every weekend there’s a 5K or a golf tournament somewhere around here, and many are held in the name of raising funds for a good cause — some for things as basic as a local high school sports program, others for more serious matters such as life-threatening illnesses.

Lots of these events are held in memory of beloved local athletes in the sport they competed in, often contributing to a cause that was either close to their heart or related to their death. It’s a good way of making sure that person’s name isn’t forgotten to the public in a fast-moving world.

Some of these charitable events are small affairs and others are bigger — the fourth annual Raisin Hope Ride was held Saturday, and Saul Raisin said a couple of weeks ago that in the previous three years it had already tallied more than $150,000 for charities benefiting sufferers of traumatic brain injuries — but all come from good intentions.

Labor Day is a signal that summer’s really over, and a Saturday afternoon that bordered on crisp weather was a reminder, too. It’s our last lazy holiday of the year when we expect the weather to be nice enough for us to be active or outdoors, although like any holiday the temptation to veg out is pretty strong, too. But if you’re inclined to get your workout in no matter what, Peak Fitness is offering you an extra incentive on Monday.

By now you’ve probably read reports in The Daily Citizen about Joey Jones, a U.S. Marine from Whitfield County who lost both legs due to an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan last month. Well, Peak Fitness is offering an option to exercise and help Jones out.

Peak’s April Hall wrote this week to say that Jones was a member at the facility and they’ll be doing their part by holding a fundraiser on Monday. If you’re a non-member, you can work out for $8 and your guest fee will go toward the Joey Jones Fund, which will be used to “help with the cost of any structural changes made to his home and any medical expenses that the military doesn’t cover.”

In addition, they’ll hold boot camp-style classes from 10 a.m. to noon, with donations by members and non-members for attending that class also going toward the fund.

It’s an opportunity to help yourself fitness-wise and help Jones on the road to recovery. Sounds like a pretty good thing all the way around.

• The ongoing investigation of A.J. Green held the Georgia receiver out of Saturday’s season-opening 55-7 win over Louisiana-LaFayette, and that “ongoing” part may have some Bulldogs fans a little nervous. How serious Mark Richt thinks it is, we’ll just have to guess, because Richt isn’t talking about the matter.

Either way, Georgia’s offense was pretty sharp even minus the standout’s hands — and Kris Durham, a former Calhoun Yellow Jacket, was one of those who stepped up nicely to help freshman quarterback Aaron Murray have a smooth debut.

Durham is the son of former Northwest Whitfield cross country and track and field coach Mike Durham, who’s also a former UGA athlete who competed on the same track squad as Herschel Walker. Kris had a game-high five catches for 83 yards on Saturday, with one of his catches a 3-yard touchdown, the first-ever scoring pass tossed by Murray.

Back after missing last season with a shoulder injury and receiving a medical redshirt, Durham has wasted no time already making the most of his bonus time. A note in the final stats posted on Georgia’ athletic website showed that Durham hasn’t forgotten what it’s like to have to watch while others play, either — according to the site, he wore No. 31 instead of his regular 16 in honor of defensive back Quintin Banks.

Banks, a senior, had to give up football in the preseason because of recurring knee injuries but is helping out as a student assistant. According to the site, a different Bulldog will wear the number in each game this fall. Durham made sure the number got noticed.

• In some places, starting a new football program doesn’t mean starting completely from scratch.

There’s little doubt that when a new high school opens in or close to Atlanta, it likely won’t need as much time to catch up as in other parts of the state. Northwest Whitfield coach Mike Falleur pointed out that Lambert had 190 players participating in its program overall, and that when there are that many athletes to choose from, there are “going to be some good football players — it doesn’t necessarily matter what grade they’re in.”

Hillgrove, a Cobb County school that opened in 2006, advanced to the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs in 2008, its first year of region competition. And Allatoona might be the latest Cobb school with a fast-rising star.

The Buccaneers’ 17-14 victory on Friday over Ridgeland, which won the past two Region 6-3A titles, was a pretty good sign they could be trouble for all of Region 7-3A.

They certainly should raise some eyebrows in Sub-region 7B-3A, which doesn’t have a single team that made the playoffs a year ago.

Marty Kirkland is Sports Editor of The Daily Citizen. You can write to him at martykirkland@daltoncitizen.com.

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