Marcus Lemonis, host of CNBC’s The Profit, wanted to find the perfect recipient to whom he could donate two World Series tickets.
Taking into account the fact that the Chicago Cubs were making their first appearance in the World Series since 1945, and haven’t won the World Series since 1908, Lemonis heard about a 97-year-old World War II veteran who actually attended the the 1945 World Series at the Cubs’ Wrigley Field.
Jim Schlegel was 26 in 1945 when he paid $7.50 to see his Cubs in the World Series, according to NBC5 Chicago. He desperately wanted to see his Cubs in the World Series in what time he had left, so with tickets $21,100 on the secondary market according to ticket aggregator Seat Geek, his granddaughter created a GoFundMe post to raise $10,000 to attempt to buy two tickets to the game.
Lemonis tried to find Schlegel:
Lemonis heard from Schlegel’s family and others:
Once he found him, Lemonis offered two front-row tickets to Game Three at Wrigley Field.
The GoFundMe post Schlegel’s granddaughter had raised over $11,000 for the cause, and now the family said it will donate the funds to the Purple Heart Foundation.
Schlegel thanked Lemonis on Twitter: “I appreciate your generosity, and hope we bring in a winner,” adding his son will accompany him to the game.