Some dreams are small, some dreams are big, and some dreams are mega impactful. We’ve all got a few things we’d love to accomplish in this lifetime. Hopefully, we can get a few, if not all, of these things, done! I think there’s nothing better than doing that which makes you happy and feel fulfilled.
Today we’re going to talk about Stefan Xidas’ dream; this one has a couple of layers to it. What happens with Stefan isn’t just a dream-to-true moment for the man, it’s also a similar moment for a lot of other people.
The 30-year-old was born with Down Syndrome but has never let it stop him from pursuing his goals. He is a huge Chicago Cubs baseball fan, whose passion for the team and sport is unparalleled. He loves this team so much that this lifelong fan, with the help of two friends, wrote to Tom Ricketts; Tom is the Chairman of the Chicago Cubs, and Stefan wanted to ask for a chance to sing the national anthem.
Stefan even made a video, and in it, he says, “I’ve been a Cubs fan for as long as I can remember. It has been a lifelong dream of mine to sing the national anthem at the Cubs game.” He also goes on to mention that he’s started a GoFundMe page with the hope of raising $5,000 for the Special Olympics if he, Tom Ricketts, will give him the chance to step onto the field and sing “Star Spangled Banner” for the whole stadium to hear.
Tom loved the idea and wholeheartedly agreed. By this point, Stefan had raised $18,000 dollars which, without hesitation, the Cubs matched!
“It just kind of took off after we put it on Facebook,” Stefan’s father said. “Everybody was really supportive of it. We got calls after calls from friends and family. Donations started coming in. It was tremendous.” Not only did Stefan help raise $36,000 for the Special Olympics, but he also got to fulfill his dream of singing the anthem before a Cubs game.
He says he practiced a lot in anticipation for his big event. What a fearless hero who made a lot of incredible things happen for a lot of people.
Click below to watch how Stefan made his dreams come true as well as help facilitate the dreams of Special Olympians!
