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  6. article_body => "<p>Anthony Rizzo understands being a professional baseball player involves more than what happens on the diamond.<\/p>\n<p>Back in 2012, his first season with the Cubs, he started the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation to help pediatric cancer patients and their families. (Rizzo was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma back in 2008.)&nbsp;And during the COVID-19 crisis, the foundation has shifted some of its focus to benefit those helping to battle the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re trying to be there for people that are in tough times,\u201d Rizzo said in an interview with David Kaplan on NBC Sports Chicago's \u201cBe Chicago: Together We Can\" special.&nbsp;\u201cWe\u2019ve sent out over 50 care packages to cancer families, just to let them know we\u2019re thinking of them. Sent some videos to the hospitals letting them know we\u2019re thinking of them. We don\u2019t want to stop. We never want to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>BECHICAGO<\/strong><\/em>:&nbsp;<a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=http:\/\/nbcsportschicago.com\/bechicago&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1588287082559000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEa2twkq6hfT0l_CZYTwKndLGPHaA\" href=\"http:\/\/nbcsportschicago.com\/bechicago\" target=\"_blank\">Donate to the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The foundation is sending out more than just care packages and videos. &nbsp;They have served more than 4,500 meals to health care workers in six different states. Over a thousand boxes of gloves, 55 gallons of hand sanitizer and 24,000 masks have been donated to help the cause.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese are tough times and the real heroes in our country right now are not athletes,\u201d Rizzo said. \u201cThey\u2019re all the front line workers, the people who are going out every day putting their health at risk for us and to take care of people who are sick, so it\u2019s been really moving to see how the country has rallied around all the frontline workers, the police officers, the firefighters.&nbsp;The list goes on and on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As Rizzo and his wife Emily (along with their dog, Kevin) spend down time in Florida waiting for when things can begin to get back to normal,&nbsp;his foundation's work will continue across the country.<\/p>\n<p>And right now, that is needed more than a double into the gap or a great catch at first base.<\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/194b557a-5b1a-41fa-9e3c-3a7b33a4c831\/embed?playlist_type=latest\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<em><a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2PxAcKd\">Click here<\/a> to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of the Chicago <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/chicago\/cubs\">Cubs<\/a> easily on your device.<\/em> \n"
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Anthony Rizzo understands being a professional baseball player involves more than what happens on the diamond.

Back in 2012, his first season with the Cubs, he started the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation to help pediatric cancer patients and their families. (Rizzo was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma back in 2008.) And during the COVID-19 crisis, the foundation has shifted some of its focus to benefit those helping to battle the pandemic.

“We’re trying to be there for people that are in tough times,” Rizzo said in an interview with David Kaplan on NBC Sports Chicago's “Be Chicago: Together We Can" special. “We’ve sent out over 50 care packages to cancer families, just to let them know we’re thinking of them. Sent some videos to the hospitals letting them know we’re thinking of them. We don’t want to stop. We never want to stop.”

BECHICAGO: Donate to the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund

The foundation is sending out more than just care packages and videos.  They have served more than 4,500 meals to health care workers in six different states. Over a thousand boxes of gloves, 55 gallons of hand sanitizer and 24,000 masks have been donated to help the cause.

“These are tough times and the real heroes in our country right now are not athletes,” Rizzo said. “They’re all the front line workers, the people who are going out every day putting their health at risk for us and to take care of people who are sick, so it’s been really moving to see how the country has rallied around all the frontline workers, the police officers, the firefighters. The list goes on and on.”

 

As Rizzo and his wife Emily (along with their dog, Kevin) spend down time in Florida waiting for when things can begin to get back to normal, his foundation's work will continue across the country.

And right now, that is needed more than a double into the gap or a great catch at first base.

Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of the Chicago Cubs easily on your device.