The Fulena Group in Naperville Organize Toy Drive to Help Kids

A Real Estate office in Naperville has partnered with the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation to collect toys with the goal of helping children fighting cancer.

Lauren Fulena, a licensed real estate professional and owner of the Fulena Group hosted a holiday toy drive. Lauren asked customers, friends and family to donate a new toy and created an Amazon wish list for all the “non-shoppers.” After the last toy had been collected, 158 toys to be distributed to children fighting cancer were delivered to the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation (POTCF) facility in Orland Park.

Treasure Chest Foundation CEO and Founder Colleen Kisel extended her most sincere gratitude to the Fulena Group for their efforts in organizing such an innovative and interesting toy drive. “Though this has been a trying time for many, the support of the Fulena Group customers, friends and family is beyond belief. We are humbled by the outpouring of generosity, and we are certainly grateful to be able to distribute such an impressive number of toys to the brave children and teens battling cancer.”

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.