Chicago Cubs star Anthony Rizzo let the tears flow Tuesday at Lurie Children's Hospital, where a waiting room was named in his honor.



The room, newly named the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation Waiting Room, has become a regular stop for the first baseman during his often unannounced visits to kids receiving cancer treatment.



"This means a lot to me, because," Rizzo said, pausing as he teared up.



"I remember sitting with my mom saying we were going to do this 10 years ago," he said, "and you know this is just a little step to our mission, but to be able to give back and do this type of work is so much bigger than a World Series."

The room serves as a hub for all families on the floor, and the new name is the hospital's way of thanking the player for establishing two endowments totaling $3.5 million.

Rizzo, a cancer survivor, runs his Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation with his family, close friends and management team.

At Tuesday's unveiling, he held, hugged and posed for photos with young patients.



One Rizzo Family Foundation endowment will fund two oncology "child life specialists" to play with the kids and provide pain management.

The other will take the form of grants to individual families facing financial hardship when they drop everything to be with their children.