Pick a kid…any boy out here on the fields. Now make sure he plays all of the sports; baseball, basketball, football, soccer, hockey and whatever his friends want to do. “My parents never forced me to play baseball,” says Chicago Cubs first baseman, Anthony Rizzo. “My Dad (John) and Mom (Laurie) said I just always wanted to play when I was younger.” Raised in Parkland since he can remember, this left-handed, homegrown athlete began like thousands of other kids every year – in our local Little League
Because of his athletic success and a serious health scare that impacted every one of them, Anthony and his family invite you to attend the 2nd Annual Walk Off for Cancer at Pine Trails Park on December 15th at 7:30 AM. The Walk-Off is an untimed 5k with a DJ, music, food, drinks and a whole lot of fun for everyone in the family. Anthony adds, “It’s a nice way for people to come out and support a great cause.”
Grammar school, middle school and finally Douglas High School were the academic nurturing grounds for this promising athlete but, at the age of seventeen, Anthony was unusually tired. Tests proved he had Limited State Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Certainly shocking to his close-knit family, Anthony was treated with chemotherapy and reflects on the decision to start the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation. “When I was sick I liked what the Live Strong Foundation was doing. When I got called up to the Big Leagues with the Cubs, it became more about helping out younger kids and their families who are going through it. We got a lot of great response and feedback.”
Anthony realized that it wasn’t just about him during his illness. “It affected everyone worse than me. I just wanted to get through it and be done with it. Everyone was really worried, and just the support that they gave was great; but I knew if I was struggling, everyone else would feel that much worse, so I just kept my head held high and went through it. When the kid’s going through it, everyone including parents and friends are going through it with him.”
When asked about the uniqueness of the Rizzo Family Foundation, Anthony says that, “Being a survivor and not letting cancer get in the way of reaching my dream, we have kept the big picture in mind. Every foundation is for a great cause, yet we have a heart here…my mom, my dad, my brother (John)…my whole family is involved in it. We like to help out by giving money to families, hospitals and other foundations.” People and organizations from anywhere in the nation can be helped by the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation.
Home in the off-season is still Parkland, and family is still Anthony’s priority. “It’s just nice being in parkland where I grew up and went to school,” he shares. And he’s still on the road to his dream, which is to win the World Series. A young man of 24 who is grateful to be cured, he says, “I’m just enjoying the ride. Every day I can get up and brush my teeth on my own and do the little things for myself helps me appreciate life more than worrying about ‘living the dream’ each day. I’m happy just being a good person. ”
Toward the end of our interview, I must address the obvious and ask Anthony what it’s like to be famous. With a little chuckle, he replies, “I wouldn’t say I’m ‘famous,’ it’s just that I play a sport for living on a very high platform and it’s nice to be able give back and help other people who are going through tougher times than I am.”
Limited to 1,000 participants, please plan for fun and fundraising on December 15th by registering at Rizzo44.com. We’ll see you at the park!
