The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo, and the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) are partnering to raise funds for children battling illness, by supporting 27 runners representing CHAM in the TCS New York City Marathon, Montefiore officials said.

They said every year, Montefiore gathers a team of “CHAMpions” to run the 26.2-mile marathon, held annually in November, to raise critical funds that support children undergoing treatments at CHAM. This year, hospital officials said The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation is partnering with CHAM to bolster the runners’ fundraising efforts. They said the goal is to increase donations dedicated to helping children with their medical care, such as advanced pain management therapies.

According to Montefiore officials, the funding will also go to addressing social needs families may face, like assistance with academic support while children are hospitalized, and transportation costs for families going to and from appointments. They said Rizzo understands how important these services are because at age 17, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma and underwent chemotherapy treatments.

 

They said he credits his medical team and family with helping him to overcome the condition. In 2012, they said he launched The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation to raise money for cancer research and provide support to children, and their families, fighting the disease. “Battling a life-threatening illness gave me the resilience and tenacity to go after my dreams,” said the three-time MLB All-Star and World Series champion. “It is my honor and privilege to support other young warriors and families in their time of need.”

Captaining the CHAM runners this year will be Sarah Rizzo, Anthony’s sister-in-law. She and the team are aiming to raise as much money as possible for the young patients who receive care at CHAM.

 

Michael D. Cabana, M.D., M.P.H., CHAM’s physician-in-chief, said, “Anthony Rizzo’s story is a great inspiration for our children at CHAM.” Cabana, who is also the Michael I. Cohen, M.D. university chair in the department of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, added, “We are so fortunate to have such a generous and gracious champion, both on and off the baseball field, just a few subway stops from the hospital.”

 

For more information about how to support the CHAM marathon runners, click here.

 

Click here to read our recent story on a new law allowing sporting venues to hold games of chance, such as raffles, for charitable purposes, as well as the presentation of various New York Yankees Youth Leadership Awards to young Bronxites at Yankee Stadium.