More Than 1,200 Shot to the Stars at the 2000 Family Event

The seeds of the Rory David Deutsch Foundation’s 2000 Family Event, “Shoot to the Stars for Rory” were planted the day that Ross met with the managers of the Windy City Fieldhouse and toured the 3,000-person capacity Chicago facility equipped with basketball and volleyball courts, a soccer field and ample open space. His view that it was the perfect setting for a family-oriented, recreational event geared to both children and adults proved impeccably true when the November event drew more 1,200 people and raised nearly $600,000 for The Foundation. Generous sponsors that underwrote a large portion of the evening’s expenses allowed the bulk of proceeds to go directly to support research into pediatric brain-stem gliomas.

As he did in 1999, President Clinton graciously agreed to serve as honorary chairperson of “Shoot to the Stars for Rory”. His videotaped message described Rory as a boy who was “always looking onward and upward, truly shooting for the stars” and The Foundation as an organization providing “invaluable support in the fight against this pernicious disease.” As the recreational theme of the evening captured Rory’s love of fun and play, many of the event’s guests were children who were provided with a carnival of activities. There was basketball and floor hockey, limbo and hoola-hoop contests, balloon artists and even a twenty-five-foot slide. The adults enjoyed an exciting raffle that featured two fancy cars and a Harley Davidson motorcycle and a live auction whose items ranged from an eight-week-old Labrador retriever to a round-trip private jet excursion anywhere in the U.S. A delicious Italian dinner, catered and largely donated by Jim Lazar of Marcello’s Catering, satisfied everyone’s appetite.
The non-stop activity, camaraderie and goodwill of the evening symbolized a tribute to Rory’s life.