Earlier this week, ESPN's longtime Bears reporter Jeff Dickerson passed away at 44 years old after complications from colon cancer. The sports world was deeply saddened by the news, with a flood of positive memories and recollections of interactions with Dickerson filling the internet.
In the days following his death, the same sports community that was so heavily affected by the loss rallied together to make a bittersweet story out of the awful news. Jeff's son, Parker, has now lost both his parents, as Caitlin Dickerson died two years ago. Naturally, people across the country have asked how they can help Parker in this extremely trying time, and the effort to provide support for him has been inspiring.
A GoFundMe called "Parker's Fund" was set up by Jen Etling Hobin, Jeff Dickerson's sister-in-law, with an initial goal of raising $100,000 for 11-year-old Parker. Part of the description on the page details exactly what that money would go toward:
Many people have reached out wanting to know how they can support Parker. We set up this fund to do exactly that. Please know that every dollar raised will directly support Parker’s education, health and welfare … and yes, his athletics. Parker will continue to be surrounded by many fans - doting grandparents Sandy & George, Grandma Patty, aunts, uncles and cousins. We hope this fund becomes a lasting tribute to a loving father, son, a great brother-in-law, uncle, professional, coach, colleague and friend.
Donations to Parker's fund will also benefit the cancer research foundation, The V Foundation, founded by ESPN. An extremely generous anonymous donor has come forward to match every $1 raised for Parker by making a matching donation to The V Foundation (up to $60,000). The V Foundation for Cancer Research started in 1993 with a big dream: achieve victory over cancer. Since then, they've awarded over $200 million in cancer research grants and have grown to become one of the premier supporters of cutting-edge cancer research.
In just three days following the creation of the fund, over $700,000 have been raised through more than 11,000 individual donations. Some of the largest donations have been truly breathtaking, coming from businesses and prominent figures within the Bears community and the world of sports, including but not limited to the following:
Obvious Shirts: $28,500, though the company's official Twitter page updated us on Thursday morning with incredible news
Chicago Bears: $25,000
Dan and Tanya Snyder: $25,000
Jim Irsay: $25,000
Jeffrey Lurie: $10,000
Andy Dalton: $5,000
Anthony Rizzo: $5,000
Jay Glazer: $5,000
Chicago Blackhawks Foundation: $5,000
Tom Ricketts: $5,000
Seattle Seahawks: $2,500
Los Angeles Rams: $2,500
Jed Hoyer: $1,500
Theo Epstein: $1,000
The full list of donors, updated continually, can be seen here. As "Parker's Fund" grows nearer to $1 million, you can keep track and contribute to the overall donation here.
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