Cubs fan raises $9,000 (and counting) for Special Olympics with anthem dream

A Cubs fan who wants to sing the national anthem at Wrigley Field has turned his dream into a chance to help others.

Stefan Xidas, a lifelong fan who has Down syndrome, recently posted a GoFundMe page offering a deal to Cubs owner Tom Ricketts: If Xidas could raise $5,000 for the Special Olympics – “an organization that is helping so many people like myself” – then the Cubs should invite him to sing the national anthem at a game.

And because people can be truly delightful sometimes, Xidas’ GoFundMe has already blown past his original goal in six days to $9,250 and counting.

The Cubs have heard about the cause and are “exploring” how to help support it, a club spokesperson told the Sun-Times.

“We are aware and currently exploring how we can help support Stefan’s effort to raise additional funds for Special Olympics. As a long-time partner of Special Olympics, we couldn’t be happier with the outpouring of support and are amazed with what Stefan has accomplished in such a short time. It deserves to be recognized.”

Xidas says he will still donate the money to Special Olympics regardless of whether the Cubs let him sing the national anthem, so he’s already used his dream to create a platform to raise a ton of money for an organization he care about. That’s a beautiful thing in itself.

The Special Olympics is “Illinois’ largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities,” as pointed out on the GoFundMe page. Blackhawks players recently helped raise nearly $50,000 for the organization with a charity hockey game.

The GoFundMe page can be found here.