The Chicago White Sox partnered with Gilda's Club Chicago and the Andrew Weishar Foundation to help give more than two-dozen families a holiday to remember at Guaranteed Rate Field on Tuesday.
The party, complete with a holiday drone show, family-friendly activities and more, put smiles on countless faces, delighting families who are going through a difficult time and who need a little something extra special.
Both participating organizations are dedicated to relieving burdens of families whose loved ones are battling cancer.
"This is a memory that will live with these families and kids forever," Lauren Jane Hyde of Gilda's Club says.
Vanessa Melesion is battling tongue cancer, but got to enjoy the festivities.
"We’ve never done anything like this. So we are so thankful," she said. "I was really scared how i was gonna do it alone"
Melesion recently had surgery, and with four young children, this dinner and show was exactly what her kids and husband needed.
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"I was at a loss for words. I didn’t know how to react. They’ve been so helpful," she said.
Christine O’Reilly, who helped to run the show for the White Sox, says that it's critical to help out not just those battling the insidious disease, but also the families fighting alongside them.
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"Cancer's a journey for the whole family, not just who’s diagnosed," she says.
In addition to the drone show, families also were entertained by White Sox mascot Southpaw. Personalized gifts were provided to children by Santa Claus, and a holiday-themed dinner was served at the ballpark.
