Second Annual Playing It Forward Ping Pong Ball

I’m Carrie, founder of the Jackson Chance Foundation and lucky mom of Jackson and his little brother Max. We were blessed to have Jackson in our lives for 10 short, but amazing months and now have our very own angel.  I am still Jackson’s mom and I now take care of him & his legacy via the Jackson Chance Foundation (JCF).

We are working on our Second Annual Playing it Forward Ping Pong Ball this November 6th at Hard Rock Hotel Chicago. This event is gong to be crazy fun! This year, celebrities and athletes will duke it out at the Ping Pong Ball and compete against one another in a fun, light-hearted Rocks vs. Jocks ping pong tournament that will be referred by the one and only Billy Dec!  Chicago Bears players David Bass, Cornelius Washington and Jordan Mills are just a few of the impressive names on the tournament’s roster.

An amazing silent auction will take place, offering over 75 unbelievable prizes such as a private day with Michelin-starred Moto’s Executive Chef Richie Farina, Chicago Blackhawks glass tickets, five nights at the Royal Lahaina Resort in Maui in an Ocean View Room, or five nights all inclusive at Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana, among many other prizes.

Know anyone getting married? I’ve never seen a package quite like this one. It includes the venue & catering for 150 guest, dress, veil, flowers, photographer, wedding bands, DJ, planner, hair & make up, & more!

The best part is not only is this an amazing event but all proceeds go to the Jackson Chance Foundation and Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Jackson spent all but 48 hours of his short life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).  After Jackson’s death, my husband Terry and I asked ourselves what we could do to help other families with children in the NICU. The answer was immediate: ease the burden of the astounding parking fees that are preventing too many families from visiting their children.

Like all parents of critically ill children, we were told by Jackson’s doctors that visiting our child everyday was just as important to his health and recovery as the medical care he received. We were fortunate enough to have the resources to make this possible, spending every day with our son.

But not every family is so fortunate. In fact, we soon found that the reason so many other babies in the NICU were being cared for by hospital staff came down to something as simple as parking. Parking at NICUs is a major hurdle for new parents ranging from $4,200/month in New York City to $1,800/month in Chicago. The 44-bed unit of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is a state-designated Level IV NICU, capable of caring for the smallest and sickest of newborns. The average length of stay for a baby in the NICU is 28 days, with the majority staying months at a time.

JCF has partnered with the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago to launch the NICU Transportation Program – which provides complimentary transportation (parking, CTA/Metra vouchers) to all families for each day their child is in the NICU. Prior to the NICU Transportation Program, monthly or daily parking passes did not exist, and families did not have access to in and out privileges. The Program is fully funded by JCF.

All of this was inspired by my first born, Jackson Chance. What an amazing little guy…

Hope to see you there!

If you cannot attend the event, you can still bid on these packages online beginning Sunday, November 2^nd until 9:00 pm on Thursday, November 6^th. For more information about the online auction and to purchase even tickets, visit jacksonchance.org