As a U.S. Olympics gold medalist in speed’skating, Joey Cheek is not used to standing still. However, he waited patiently at the entrance of the Chinese Embassy for more than a half-hour to deliver petitions with 42,000 signatures, urging China to use its influence on Sudan to stop the genocide of the people of Darfur.

Finally, Chinese officials let him in to hand over the petitions, organized by the Washington-based Save Darfur Coalition. Cheek has long been active in raising money for Darfur refugees. He donated his $25,000 in award money from his 2006 Gold Medal to the Darfur cause.

The campaign to pressure China, the largest foreign investor in Sudan, did not stop with the petitions and a vigil outside the embassy last week.

“We absolutely are moving forward,” coalition spokesman Allyn Brooks-LaSure said yesterday. “We have no intention of yielding in actions to get China to take more forceful actions.”

More at the Washington Times

Give a visit to the Save Darfur site.