
Chicago firefighter recovering from injuries he suffered competing in triathlon in San Francisco
Jose Perez was seriously hurt during the swimming portion of the San Francisco Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon.
Perez underwent emergency spinal surgery and was recovering Monday.
The Chicago Fire Department Foundation said Perez's family is now facing mounting medical bills.
They are asking for donations to help cover medical costs.
As of Monday evening, a total of $62,842 had been raised for Perez. The organizer of the GoFundMe said he successfully underwent spinal decompression surgery and regained movement in his hands and feet.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Associated Press
2 minutes ago
- Associated Press
From draft day doubts to Phillies' Wall of Fame: Jimmy Rollins' journey puts him with team greats
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jimmy Rollins was a Bay Area kid who grew up rooting for Rickey Henderson and admiring Jackie Robinson as he blossomed into one of the top high school prospects in baseball. So when the Philadelphia Phillies called in 1996 to tell the slick-fielding shortstop they had picked him in the second round of the draft, Rollins had one major question. 'I'm like, 'Who?' ' Rollins said with a laugh. Yes, the Phillies, one of the worst organizations in baseball throughout the late 1990s — and one Rollins turned into a perennial winner. Rollins led the Phillies to five straight NL East titles, the 2008 World Series championship, and another NL pennant the next year. He was the 2007 NL MVP, a three-time All-Star, had a 38-game hitting streak and set the franchise record for hits with 2,306. He had one more major franchise accolade to accomplish. Rollins at last took his place with Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton and was inducted Friday night into the Phillies' Wall of Fame. 'I was meant to be here,' Rollins said. 'I got drafted here. I told my mom when we got drafted, I'm going to win a championship in this city. That's what it became about for me, was chasing that championship.' The core of that Phillies' run — five division titles from 2007-2011 on the strength of homegrown talent such as Rollins, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels and Chase Utley — was built by former general manager Ed Wade. Wade, who helped move the organization into Citizens Bank Park in 2004, received his spot on the Wall with Rollins on Friday night. Howard inducted Rollins into the team's version of the Hall of Fame, saying the team leaned on him for the contagious confidence that made the Phillies the team to beat in the NL for so many years. 'You go, we go,' Howard told the crowd. 'Jimmy always went.' Utley pulled down the coverings that unveiled the Rollins and Wade plaques on the wall that greets fans in the left field concourse behind the scoreboard building. Rollins, who finished his career with stints with the Dodgers and the White Sox, earned just 18% of the Hall of Fame vote in last year's ballot, falling short of the 75% needed for election. Wade said Rollins' numbers compared to some of the great shortstops already in Cooperstown. 'This guy, from the standpoint of character, makeup and talent, he's a Hall of Famer in all three of those things,' Wade said. 'There are some guys in Cooperstown that may check one or two of those boxes. This guy checks all three of those boxes. I understand the statistical aspect of it. Defense, check his box. Speed, check his box. I don't know what criteria you would have to follow to not have Jimmy Rollins in the Hall of Fame.' ___ AP MLB:


CBS News
2 minutes ago
- CBS News
Gaudreau Family 5K raises over $500,000 for accessible playground at New Jersey special education school
The first 5K held in the memory of John and Matt Gaudreau helped raise more than $500,000, enough to break ground later this year on an accessible playground at the special education school where the hockey players' mother works. Thousands attended the Gaudreau Family 5K Walk /Run and Family Day in May at Washington Lake Park in southern New Jersey, a place John and Matthew went hundreds of times as kids and around the corner from Hollydell Ice Arena, where they started playing hockey. The 5K drew more than 1,100 participants in the walk, along with more than 1,100 virtually in the U.S., Canada and around the world. From money raised in the walk, along with contributions made in memory of John and Matt, the financial goal was met for the planned accessible playground at Archbishop Damiano School, where Jane Gaudreau and her daughter Kristen work. It was a cause John and Matthew had begun to champion in honor of their grandmother Marie, who spent 44 years at the school and died in 2023. Groundbreaking is scheduled for late August/early September, with Oct. 4 tentatively set for the start of a community build. After a brief scare of a tornado watch the night before, the 5K went off without a hitch. "Because of the rain, we had so many people we thought might not show up," Gaudreau said. "But I felt like it was such a great turnout. So many people asked us if we're going to do it again next year. [It's] just such an outpouring of love and care, so much for the boys in our family." To answer the question, yes: The next Gaudreau Family 5K Walk is tentatively scheduled for May 16, 2026. The Gaudreau brothers — John played 10 full seasons in the NHL with Calgary and Columbus — were killed last August on the eve of their sister's wedding when they were hit by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey. The playground initiative was launched by Principal Michele McCloskey in October 2020. Raising the necessary funds over the last five years had been a slow build. So many friends from the hockey world and others now inspired by the brothers and the cause have since rallied around the effort. "We heard so much from everyone how much they appreciated everything (the brothers) did for the community, and so they turned around and helped us out," Gaudreau said. "We heard a lot of nice stories, a lot of people were just so generous, just wanting to be there for our family and whatever they could do to keep John and Matty's legacy alive, which is what we wanted from the playground and to go forward from here." The Gaudreaus and the staff at Archbishop Damiano threw themselves into fundraising for a modern playground that allows for everything from basic wheelchair accessibility to ramps and transfer platforms for the students. Students tacked their wish list for the playground to the walls inside the school. The 5K event also included an online memorabilia auction that stretched beyond hockey, with all proceeds donated toward the playground effort and its original $600,000 goal. The new area for the playground has been staked out and the equipment has been ordered, yet there is still work ahead. The Gaudreaus and the school needed everything from 175 tons of crushed concrete to beach sand to other construction materials to complete the project."It's just planning out our community build, which we'll need assistance on," Gaudreau said. Archbishop Damiano School was founded in 1968 for children with Down syndrome and now provides services for 125 students with special needs from ages 3 to 21. Jane Gaudreau's brother attended the school and their mother worked there. Jane was hired in 1984 and is still a finance associate. Kristen, the older daughter, has taught at the school for almost two decades. Katie, the younger daughter, who got married in July, used to assist with the kids when she could, and the two Gaudreau boys volunteered at the school when they weren't playing hockey.
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Unexpected Angel Reese Injury News Surfaces After Chicago Sky's 16th Loss
Unexpected Angel Reese Injury News Surfaces After Chicago Sky's 16th Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky dropped to 7-16 during the 2025 WNBA season after Tuesday evening's 91 to 68 loss against the 21-4 Minnesota Lynx. Chicago still sits in 11th place in the league standings, 4.0 games behind the Washington Mystics for the final playoff spot. Napheesa Collier, the MVP frontrunner, led the way for the Lynx with 19 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and four assists. Veteran guard Kia Nurse was the leading scorer for the Sky, pitching in 16 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Second-year forward Kamilla Cardoso collected just her third double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Sky. Two-time All-Star forward Angel Reese also recorded her 10th-straight double-double by scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Reese sat out of the Sky's final game before the All-Star break with a leg injury. Head coach Tyler Marsh confirmed that this was precautionary, and Reese has played in both the All-Star Game and Tuesday's game since this injury. However, on Wednesday, it was revealed by Sky reporter Karli Bell that Reese was back on the injury report. This time, however, Chicago unexpectedly categorized her ailment as a back injury. "Chicago Sky Status Report: Ariel Atkins (leg) OUT. Michaela Onyenwere (knee) OUT. Angel Reese (back) QUESTIONABLE," Bell wrote. Reese is contributing a career-high 13.8 points and 3.7 assists per game in 2025 for the Sky. Her 12.5 rebounds per contest are also the highest mark in the WNBA for the second year in a row. On Thursday, the Sky will return to action as they host the 14-10 Seattle Storm at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 23, 2025, where it first appeared.