Karolos Grohmann

Canadian speedskater Clara Hughes will empty her bank account and give all the money to charity, the 5,000 meters gold medallist said on Saturday.

Minutes after winning her first gold medal Hughes said she would donate CA$ 10,000 to the Right To Play charity run by former Olympic champion Johann Olav Koss.

Following in the footsteps of American Joey Cheek who donated his U.S. gold and silver medal bonus to the charity, Hughes called on Canadians to give as well.

"It would be nice to have an Olympic bonus like Joey Cheek to give. But we don't have that in Canada," Hughes, delighted with her win, said.

"I said to myself, 'If I win my race in my bank account I have $10,000. Money is nice but it's not everything.'

"I call on all Canadians whatever you have to give. A little goes a long way."

Cheek, who won gold in the 500 and silver in the 1,000 donated the $35,000 he will receive from the U.S. Olympic Committee, to Koss's charity. His efforts were matched by several companies raising just under $400,000.

Koss, a four-time Olympic champion, founded the charity to help children in refugee camps play and battle apathy, crime and sexual abuse.

Hughes said she had watched a documentary on the charity before the race and was moved by the work.

"Play can give so much hope," she said. "I feel very fortunate to be part of that. It's not just about sport."

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