A very unique gift from a local company is making waves all the way in Rome. When Chicago’s Killerspin first delivered a ping-pong table to the Vatican back in 2016, it was a gesture of goodwill. Now, nearly a decade later, they’ve done it again with a custom-made table for Pope Leo and a bigger mission behind it.
CHICAGO – A very unique gift from a local company is making waves all the way in Rome.
When Chicago’s Killerspin first delivered a ping-pong table to the Vatican back in 2016, it was a gesture of goodwill.
Now, nearly a decade later, they’ve done it again with a custom-made table for Pope Leo XIV and a bigger mission behind it.
What we know:
Chicago-based luxury table tennis company Killerspin has once again served up a unique gift to the Vatican – a custom-designed ping-pong table made just for Pope Leo.
The table features his name in gold, a four-star Chicago emblem in red, and even the papal insignia printed on its surface.
Killerspin’s founder, Robert Blackwell Jr., personally delivered the table after a Vatican mass, joined by Chicago Ald. Bill Conway. He handed the pope a proclamation from the city.
What they’re saying:
In a five-minute conversation with the pope, Blackwell says he got the sense that Leo knows his way around a ping-pong paddle.
“He picked up the paddle and I could kind of tell he knows how to play a little bit,” Blackwell said. “I heard he’s a tennis player. So that was it. But it was really nice meeting him. I didn’t want to take a lot of his time. It was just my pleasure meeting him telling him there were people in Chicago that care about him and appreciate him.”
He added it took a couple of weeks to customize a high-end table for Leo. The company then had to ship it over to the Vatican and “make sure that it was shipping proof.”
Conway, of the 34th Ward, is the first Chicago elected official to meet Pope Leo XIV.
What’s next:
Blackwell also shared plans to launch a commission-based agent program for people with autism, headed up by his daughter.
She is set to take over as CEO later this year at the age of 28. She also has autism.
The Source: This story was reported by Fox 32 anchor and reporter Tia Ewing from Chicago.