Many of the athletes competing in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver are bringing the same dedication to training and competing as they do to supporting their communities and the causes that inspire them. The following are a few of the individuals involved in philanthropic pursuits during this winter’s games:

• U.S. women’s hockey team captain Angela Ruggiero visited troops in Afghanistan as part of a Goodwill tour. She is also an ambassador for Right to Play, the athlete-driven organization that has used 350 athletes from 40 countries to provide educational teams, sports equipment, and medical supplies to impoverished areas in 20 countries.

• U.S. figure skater Rachel Flatt is a spokesperson for Reading is Fundamental, and has volunteered as a reader in local schools.

• Half pipe Olympian Hannah Teter began selling maple syrup called Hannah’s Gold, tapped from trees near the Teter family home in Vermont, in an effort to raise money for underprivileged children around the world. All proceeds benefit World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to tackling the causes of poverty.

• U.S. biathlete Haley Johnson has adopted a fourth-grade class in her hometown of Lake Placid, N.Y., and is teaching them about recycling and climate change.

• U.S. hockey player Molly Schaus regularly corresponds to kids through her Save the Children fund. Her teammate, Caitlin Cahow, serves as a coach and G.M. for a girls team that raises money for cancer awareness through its tournament participation.

• American Kelly Clark, the 2002 gold medalist in the half pipe, has established a foundation to enable young skiers with financial needs to attend mountain academies such as Mount Snow Academy, which propelled her career.

• Last year, U.S. distance runners Ryan and Sara Hall established the Hall Steps Foundation, funding programs to help youth in poverty throughout the country.

View a previously written post by Mouli Cohen about philanthropy