Oak Forest High School Operation Snowball Sponsors Toy Drive:

Members of the Oak Forest High School Operation Snowball hosted a school-wide Toy Drive to benefit the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation. OFHS students collected so many toys that after the Toy Drive was over, two entire van loads of toys and gift cards were collected to directly benefit children and teens fighting cancer.

Operation Snowball Sponsor, teacher Kerry Pecka, said, “The Oak Forest students were so excited to participate in the project and I could see how rewarding it was to them. They truly took the lead on the project and put in so much effort. We were so excited and overwhelmed with how many toys we collected and how generous the Oak Forest community was! It was a great way to kick off Winter Break.”

Operation Snowball is an international alcohol, tobacco, and drug-use prevention program founded in Illinois in 1977, focusing on leadership development to encourage young people to avoid taking drugs.

The Treasure Chest Foundation Founder and CEO Colleen Kisel expressed her gratitude for the Snowball program efforts. “I want all of the students who worked so hard to know what a tremendous impact this toy drive will have. Their compassion and generosity will help put smiles on the faces of thousands of children and teens each month who are struggling with the adversity of battling childhood cancer.”

Kisel Founded the organization after her then 7-yr-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 wold soon becomes filled with doctors, nurses, chemotherapy drugs, surgeries and seemingly endless painful procedures. Kisel’s son Martin celebrated his 28th anniversary of remission from the disease in March of this year!

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