20th Annual Toy Drive To Benefit Children In Need

CHICAGO - In less than a week, organizers with the Kevin Dowling Scholarship Fund will celebrating 20 years of collecting toys and donations to give back to the little ones in the hospitals during this holiday season.

The organization will host its annual toy drive this Saturday, Dec. 7 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 115 Bourbon Street. During the toy drive, there will be food, drinks, entertainment, crafts and Santa Claus.

Monetary donations will be accepted in lieu of toys. Please bring toys unwrapped.

The toys and donations will benefit Little Company of Mary Hospital and Health Care Centers, Courage of Oak Lawn, La Ribida Hospital, Loyola Hospital’s Ronald McDonald and Keyswer Center at Hope Children’s Hospital.

For additional information, visit KevinDowlingScholarshipFund.com.

All donations can be made payable to: Kevin Dowling Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 702, Oak Lawn, IL.

The fund, which launched in 1995, is named after Kevin Dowling. Dowling became very ill and collapsed of heatstroke while at football practice during the extreme heat on August 11, 1995. For a time it appeared the Mount Carmel senior would recover. Kevin underwent a liver transplant August 14th 1995 after he was downgraded from serious to critical. He suffered liver failure and cardiac arrest and passed away August 26, 1995.

To learn more, click here.