Holiday Party Delivers Smiles to Children Fighting Cancer

The Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation was awarded toys and gifts for kids fighting cancer thanks to the generosity of a group of women who opted to forgo a gift exchange during their annual holiday party. The party-goers chose to support Treasure Chest Foundation and donated over 15 toys. Nine women participated in the event.

Partygoer Jane Withers said “The Treasure Chest is a wonderful cause for some very deserving children. We are happy to help.”

The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 14,800 young cancer patients in 63 cancer treatment centers in 21 states across the nation and in the District of Columbia. Nowhere else in the nation does such a program exist. Colleen Kisel founded the organization in 1996 after her then seven-year-old son Martin had been diagnosed with leukemia in 1993. Ms. Kisel discovered that giving her son a toy after each procedure provided a calming distraction from his pain, noting that when children are diagnosed with cancer their world soon becomes filled with doctors, nurses, chemotherapy drugs, surgeries and seemingly endless painful procedures. Martin celebrated his 28th anniversary of remission from the disease in March of this year.

If you would like further information about the Treasure Chest Foundation, please contact Colleen Kisel at 1-708-687-TOYS (8697) or visit the Foundation’s website at www.treasurechest.org.

Not pictured: Megan Thatcher, Kim Schnell-Wilson, Melody Spongberg and Kim Perchez.