Members of the Oak Forest Larson Family Team Up to Help Kids

Oak Forest father, daughter, sister-in-law, niece and granddaughters are giving to children fighting cancer. Members of the Larson Family, Rick Larson, Julie Flood, Alayna Flood, Addie Flood, Linda Guzak and Anna Bedell showed up to help, organize, label, pack and prepare the toys and gifts for shipment to Treasure Chests located in the various children’s cancer treatment centers served by the Foundation. Linda Guzak said, “It brings tears to my eyes to see all these donations for children in need.” Her young niece Alayna chimed in by saying, “I want to make kids with cancer happy.”

Ms. Kisel showed her appreciation for the Larson Family's loyalty and hard work, saying, “Volunteers like the Larson Family are the lifeblood of our Foundation. Without them, we would never be able to provide smiles of joy to thousands of young cancer patients every month. We are so grateful that the Larson’s are willing to take time to be here and their contributions have been incredible.”

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 2021.

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.