Chicago Cubs Charity Spotlight: Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation

The leader of the club is gearing up for another World Series run with the Chicago Cubs this spring. But, one of his top priorities will still remain with his foundation.

Sports are fantastic. There are many things in the world which divide us, but sports are not one of them. Anthony Rizzo of the Chicago Cubs is a perfect example of how athletes can use their platform for a much greater purpose and, whether you’re a Cubs fan or not, bring all fans together under a common goal.

The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation is run purely by the first baseman’s family, according to its official website. The foundation was created in 2012 after Rizzo’s own battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma all the way back in 2008.

Its mission, simply put, is to both raise money for and support families and children battling cancer — again, paraphrasing their official website.

The foundation puts on several events throughout every year to raise money for families battling cancer. Some of them include the “Cook-Off for Cancer,” “Walk-Off for Cancer” and “Laugh-Off for Cancer.”

The most recent cook-off raised $1.1 million for families dealing with cancer and cancer research. As for the “Laugh-Off,” a comedy-centric event, its most recent outing amassed over $300,000. Rizzo’s “Walk-Off,” a walk to raise awareness, raised over $550,000 in its latest go-around.

Last August, Rizzo donated an incredible $3.5 million to Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. This is one of the more notable moments in Rizzo’s charitable history and one that fans will never forget. His speech on that particular day is one we at Da Windy City will remember forever.

The most recent work done by the foundation is still ongoing. Rizzo decided that he had to help out the families affected by the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. Rizzo calls Parkland home and immediately left the team after hearing of the tragic event.

The foundation teamed up with Fanatics, a sports apparel company, to hold on an online auction featuring sports memorabilia, game tickets and special celebrity meet-and-greet packages. All proceeds will go directly to the victim’s families.

Some of the items and packages available are: Rocky II boxing shoes autographed by Sylvester Stallone, a ticket package to one of Pearl Jam’s concerts at Wrigley Field including a meet-and-greet as well as an autographed guitar, a Batman photo autographed by Ben Affleck, tickets to a Cubs game against the St. Louis Cardinals, as well as a meet-and-greet with Rizzo himself.

Those are just a handful of the items available for bidding. All in all, the spread of items and packages is overwhelmingly impressive. It is clear that Rizzo has the support of athletes and celebrities all over the country.

While Rizzo aims high for a big 2018 season, it is heart-warming to know that he remains focused on those other than himself. As a Cubs fan, I can be assured that not only is the leader of the team a great player, but an even better human being.