D’Agostino’s “Night of Fun” raises over $17,000 for The Ryan and Jenny Dempster Family Foundation!

Cubs fans young and old joined Chicago Cubs Pitcher Ryan Dempster and several of his current and former Cubs teammates for the second annual “Night of Fun” at D’Agostino’s Pizza and Pub on Friday, December 10, 2010. Kerry Wood, Koyie Hill, Andrew Cashner, Justin Berg and Ted Lilly all joined Ryan to help raise over $17,000 for The Dempster Family Foundation. D’Agostino’s Night of Fun served up “all you can eat” of Chicago’s favorite thin-crust pizza, with an open bar, silent auction, entertainment, trivia games, raffles and more.

“When we found out that Ryan’s daughter, Riley, was diagnosed with 22q, and Ryan and Jenny were starting a Foundation to support children with 22q and their families, we knew we wanted to help,” said D’Agostino’s Pizza and Pub Owner Scott D’Agostino. “If some pizza will help raise awareness of 22q and much needed funds for the charity, then we are going to throw the ultimate pizza party.”

In addition to the Night of Fun, D’Agostino’s Pizza & Pub supports a monthly program for the Foundation called “22q Days at D’Agostinos,” where $1 from each pizza sold at all four D’Agostinos locations is donated to the charity. Over $7000 has been raised to date through the program for the Foundation.

A relatively unknown, but serious disorder, 22q can be present in children with any of over 180 symptoms, including: difficulty swallowing, heart failure, speech impairments, learning disabilities and immune deficiencies. Re¬cent studies suggest that as many as one in every 2,000 births is affected by this disorder. For more information on 22q11.2 deletion, please visit the Dempster Foundation website at: www.dempsterfoundation.org.

The Ryan and Jenny Dempster Family Foundation strives to lend support to charities and organizations supporting children with a 22q11.2 deletion through monetary grants, programs and increased community awareness. The Dempster Foundation empowers organizations to help children overcome difficult situations through providing funding to continue research for early detection of this disorder; supporting programs about 22q that provide education, physical therapy and activity to promote long term well being; creating initiatives that build and instill confidence in these children; and developing a 22q network for families affected by this disorder to share their stories and help navigate healthcare options and treatments.

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