Seasonal & Holidays
Christmas In July for Children and Teens Fighting Cancer
Westchester Divine Providence Church Members Al Kuntz, Diana Kuntz, Lee Bence, Eileen Gorski, Don Bence, Carol Kubala and Norbert Kubala.
Divine Providence Church in Westchester celebrated the spirit of giving during their thirteenth annual Christmas in July toy drive to benefit the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation. Parishioners collected over 1,450 toys, gifts for teens, $150 in gift cards and $200 to help children and teens fighting cancer.
Divine Providence Church toy drive Chairwoman Eileen Gorski said, “Just to see the children smile is reward enough. That’s all the motivation we need.” Parishioner Carol Kubala added, “I enjoy shopping for the kids and contributing to our Christmas in July toy drive. It gives us a good feeling.”
Treasure Chest Foundation CEO and Founder Colleen Kisel expressed her profound gratitude for the generous support shown by the Divine Providence Church parishioners. “The Treasure Chest Foundation is especially grateful for 13 years of enormous donations of toys, gifts, gift cards and the continuous support of Divine Providence Church,” said an appreciative Ms. Kisel. “It is wonderful to see the giving members of this church come together to help little ones whose lives have become filled with doctors, nurses, surgeries, pills, chemotherapy, radiation and mostly painful, painful procedures.”
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The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 13,000 young cancer patients enduring 20,000 clinic visits each month in 19 states across the nation. 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 25th anniversary of remission from the disease in March.
If you would like further information about the Treasure Chest Foundation, please contact Colleen Kisel at 708-687-TOYS (8697) or visit the Foundation’s web site at www.treasurechest.org.
