Cubs' Anthony Rizzo Donates $3.5M To Lurie's, 'Cause Somebody's Gotta Fund Health Care

By Stephen Gossett in News on May 8, 2017 9:38PM

Anthony Rizzo / Getty Images / Photo: Jon Durr

The adequate funding of health-care needs may be thoroughly out of vogue in some chambers right now, but luckily no one told Anthony Rizzo. Lurie Children's announced on Monday that the Cubs first baseman has committed a $3.5 million donation to the hospital.

The gift from the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation will create two funds: One, called the Hope 44 Endowed Fund, will offer grants to families who've been hit financially by unexpected costs due to a child's cancer treatment; the second, dubbed the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation Child Life Endowed Fund, offers financial support for a pair oncology specialists at the children's hospital.

Rizzo referenced his own well-publicized battle with cancer in the announcement.

“As a survivor of cancer myself, I know the emotional and financial strain the diagnosis of cancer can put on a family,” said Rizzo in a release. "I believe that an individual does not battle cancer alone, his or her entire family does. That’s why we’ve designated this money to go directly to help families on the front lines."

“We firmly believe that a medical bill or other financial stressor should never take priority over caring for a sick child,” said Mel Lamagna, Manager of Social Work at Lurie Children's.

You could learn something from this young man, House of Representatives.