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Schools

Chicago Bears Star Matt Forte Leads Charity Event at Marist High School

Matt Forte, running back for the Chicago Bears, stopped by Marist High School as part of an effort to raise money for juvenile cancer.

The Pop Chips national philanthropic "game changers" program gives sports stars a chance to give back to their local communities by spearheading charity events for the athlete's charity of choice.

Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears chose The Cure It Foundation, a local nonprofit organization fighting to cure pediatric cancer and providing personalized support for children.

Forte and Pop Chips hosted the ultimate field day event at for children and their families who are affected by pediatric cancer, giving them back some of the time they have spent fighting illness instead of just being kids.

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The Cure It Foundation is a "grass-roots" organization, just a year old. The idea started when a sibling of a cancer patient sold lemonade at a Walmart and ended up raising about $100 at a time. The success inspired Hope Children's Hospital physician Dr. Jason Canner and nurse practitioner Ginny Sowler.

Canner and Sowler co-founded the organization as a way "to take care of the kids and their families outside of the hospital," said Canner.

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"As a mom, seeing what these families go through is tough," Sowler said. "I wanted to help them in some way, create awareness in the community and ultimately increase the survival rate." 

The organization raised over $100,000 in its first year.

Becky Vacco-Giudice, a social worker in the pediatric oncology department of Hope and Director of PR and Marketing for the foundation, is passionate about children's cancer research and making sure that families in the community are taken care of.

She hopes the organization brings the community together to help fight pediatric cancer. 

If you would like to know how you can get involved, please go to www.faceitfightitcureit.org.

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