Steve McMichael Restaurant to Host Viewing Party & Fundraiser for Cancer Patient
Published by Jason S. Parini on July 11, 2013
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
When the Chicago Bears kick off their 2013 home preseason on August 15th, former Bear Steve McMichael‘s Romeoville restaurant will be the site of something far more important than football.
“Mongo McMichaels,” is a sports bar and restaurant located in Romeoville, Illinois and owned by Super Bowl Champion and two-time Pro Bowler Steve McMichael. The restaurant will be hosting a viewing party and fundraiser for seven-year-old Addison Locke, who has been battling a rare form of liver cancer for over 15 months.
Fans can feast on the food and drink of Mongo McMichael‘s as the Bears square off against the San Diego Chargers while participating in silent auctions, raffles and “split the pot.”
Addison, whose name was largely inspired by Addison Street, home of the Chicago Cubs, has been battling hepatoblastoma, a rare form of liver cancer. The cancer had also spread to her lungs, causing even more complications. The resilient Addie has endured so much, from chemo and radiation to a lung transplant and countless blood draws.
Aside from the unimaginable emotional toll that the Locke family has endured, the financial impact is almost as heartbreaking. The Lockes have traveled to Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago countless times, as well as a trip to Cincinnati for medical care. To top it off, many medications and care are not covered under insurance.
The statistics on hepatoblastoma are numbing. Although the occurrence rate is only 0.9-per-1,000,000 children, the seriousness is frightening. Only when the tumor can be completely removed will an individual be cured. One can only imagine the financial costs involved with such a process.
In a sport which focuses so largely on the safety of its players as well as giving such inspiring attention to diseases such as breast cancer, it’s only fitting that the restaurant of a former Pro Bowl Chicago Bear is hosting such an event.
No family or child should ever have to endure what Addison and the Lockes have endured, but more importantly, no one should have to endure it alone. On August 15th, Bears fans can make sure that that doesn’t happen. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN.
For information regarding Addie’s battle, visit www.facebook.com/SuperAddison
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