Anthony Rizzo sheds tears after giving $3.5M to children's hospital
Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is more than just an All-Star first baseman. On his journey to becoming a World Series champion, Rizzo was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma when he was 18 years old. He underwent chemotherapy, and overcame cancer.
Since then, he’s made it part of his mission to give back to those in need. He started the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation in order to raise money for cancer research and support those battling the disease.
On Tuesday, Rizzo’s foundation gave $3.5 million to Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. Rizzo was there to meet and talk to the kids and parents in attendance, and got a little emotional while taking everything in, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Yes, you heard him right. Rizzo said helping out the hospital was “bigger than winning the World Series.” Your first reaction to that is probably “yeah, of course,” but it’s refreshing to hear Rizzo say it. It’s a genuine, human response, and you can tell it’s not just lip service.
It’s also been in the plans for quite some time. As Rizzo also mentioned in the Sun-Times article, he told his mom 10 years ago – as he was receiving treatment for lymphoma – he wanted to do this.
Considering all that, you’re allowed to cry along with Rizzo as you watch the video. As he alluded to, this transcends baseball.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
