Doctors, nurses get much needed relief from Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo
The start of the 2020 baseball season may be on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak, but that’s not stopping one of your favorite Chicago Cubs from stepping up and making us proud.
First baseman Anthony Rizzo is currently teaming up with local restaurants in both Chicago, IL, and Hollywood, FL, to prepare and serve hot meals for doctors and nurses on the front lines. According to ABC7 of Chicago, the 30 year-old Cub is working with places like Carson’s Ribs, Boka Group, Piccolo Sogno, and GT Prime to get hot meals to the staff at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, and the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood.
Backed by the Rizzo Foundation, local restaurants have been able to serve more than 700 meals to medical personnel who are currently battling the spread of COVID-19. According to the foundation’s executive director Abby Suarez, the Rizzo family is hoping to reach out and serve as many hospitals as possible over the coming weeks.
“Staff members have come in and seen the food and broken down in tears, knowing that someone cares about them,” Suarez told reporters.
Like many of us, Rizzo is feeling the effects of helplessly staying home with little to no contact with family members and teammates. Thankfully, the foundation has found a way to be of service without putting others at risk.
“This is a way for people to help from the safety of their own homes,” Suarez said.
Earlier this week, Rizzo wrote a personal essay for ESPN.com, from his home in South Florida, expressing how he feels about not being able to play baseball right now. The team was expected to be in Milwaukee, WI, this past Monday, to play the Brewers on March 26, in what was supposed to be MLB’s Opening Day. But because of the coronavirus pandemic, the MLB has postponed the start of baseball and suspended all baseball operations.
In his letter, Rizzo explains that athletes are usually in a “marathon mode” this time of year, but now they have to turn that part of themselves off mentally, yet still stay physically fit. He challenges fans and league members to do push-ups in their living rooms or do anything other than sit on the couch and “fall into a hole.”
He writes:
“We’re all used to socializing all the time. But right now, we are not. We are at home and it is easy to just sit around and do nothing, but for me, that just doesn’t work. My message and biggest piece of advice: Get into some sort of routine, daily, to get you through so you’re not just wasting away time. Somehow make the most of this forced downtime.”
Rizzo also reminds fans and players that practicing social distancing is not just for the young and the healthy, but to protect our parents and grandparents. While staying away from family members is difficult during this time, Rizzo emphasizes its importance and why everyone needs to do their part to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
While the start of baseball season is still not certain, Rizzo’s letter ends with confidence that baseball will be returning at some point this summer. Currently, the league and the players union hope to reach an agreement that would lead to a start date sometime in June, but all of that depends on the effectiveness of containments and strategies imposed across the country.
If you’d like to donate to the Rizzo Foundation and their efforts to support local medical teams and hospitals in the fight against COVID-19, you can donate $20 by texting HOPE44 to 52000. You can also donate directly to the foundation’s website.
Jennifer Brugh is a freelance writer, content creator and social media specialist with a Masters in sports journalism. Born and raised in northern Indiana, Jennifer enjoys following the Chicago Cubs through all the ups and downs. She enjoys spending time outdoors and is low-key saving for van life. You can follow her on Twitter here.
