Edward Ross had heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic when he was 3 months old, and ever since, he’s been looking for ways to give back and help others with heart disease.
Ross, now 15 and a freshman at Hawken School in Chester Township, is president of the teen board of the Hope for Henry Foundation, a nonprofit that helps hospitals care for severely ill children and their families by giving gifts and providing entertainment, among other things.
“About a year ago, my dad and I went to (Washington,) D.C., to see a Hope for Henry event in the hospital,” Ross said. “It turns out, (the foundation) had a teen board and they were interested in bringing Hope for Henry to the Cleveland Clinic and they asked if I was interested in starting (the teen board).”
Ross’ work on the teen board has started to bring results, including a Nov. 3 fundraiser at Life Time Fitness in Beachwood. Ross, who lives in Pepper Pike and attends The Temple-Tifereth Israel in Beachwood, said Hope for Henry held a spinning class with 58 riders, raising approximately $4,500 for the foundation.
It’s the teen board’s second fundraiser. The first was a March Madness bracket tournament in the spring.
“We’re discussing planning another fundraiser,” Ross said. “All of the money we collect will go to Hope for Henry.”
