Holiday Toy Drives to Benefit Children with Cancer

Area residents and businesses have an opportunity this holiday season to support children and teens fighting cancer by donating a new toy or gift during the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation (POTCF) annual Holiday Toy Drive.

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 this year.

Ms. Kisel emphasized the importance of the Foundation’s efforts by saying, “The toys we collect during this Holiday Toy Drive will enable us to continue providing smiles of joy to more than 14,800 children and teens monthly who are battling cancer across the nation.”

Unwrapped, brand new toys or gifts may be dropped off until December 23rd at:

ORLAND PARK

•Treasure Chest Foundation, 15430 70th Court

•All Seasons Pools, 9135 W. 135th Street

•American School Bus Company, 10000 W. 167th Street

•Fernway Park Elementary School 16600 S. 88th Avenue

•Kiwanis Club of Orland Park, 14750 S. Ravinia Avenue

•Orland Fire Protection District 2, 15100 S. 80th Avenue

•Orland Fire Protection District 5, 8851 W. 143rd Street

•Thomas Place, 15415 S. Harlem

•Village of Orland Park, 14700 Ravinia Avenue

ORLAND HILLS

•Orland Fire Protection District 4, 16515 S. 94th Avenue

TINLEY PARK

•Aero Rubber Company, 8100 W. 185th Street

•John A. Bannes School, 16835 S. Odell

•Bettenhausen Recreation Center, 16440 76th Avenue

•Christa McAuliffe School, 8944 W. 174th Street

•Dunkin’ Donuts, 7935 W. 171st Street

•First Midwest Bank, 17500 S. Oak Park Avenue

•First Savings Bank of Hegewisch, 17501 80th Avenue

•Helen Keller School, 7846 W. 163rd Street

•KVH Industries, 8412 185th Street

•Millennium Elementary School, 17830 S. 84th Avenue

•Prairie View Middle School, 8500 W. 175th Street

•Physical Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation (PTSIR), 17236 Harlem Ave.

•Remembering Cathy & Alison Toy Drive, 17030 Odell Avenue

•Republic Bank of Chicago, 8420 W. 171st Street

•Shades of Darkness Tanning Salon, 16850 Oak Park Avenue

•Tinley Park Fitness Center, 16440 76th Avenue

•Tinley Park High School, 6111 175th Street

•Virgil I. Grissom Middle School, 17000 S. 80th Avenue

•Weichart Realty, 7903 W. 159th Street

OAK FOREST

•City of Oak Forest, 15440 Central Avenue

•Fullserve Auto Care Specialists, 15436 S Cicero Avenue

•Lee R. Foster Elementary School, 5931 School Street

•Oak Forest High School, 15201 Central Avenue

CRESTWOOD

•Crestwood Recreation and Wellness Center, 5331 W. 135th Street

•First Midwest Bank, 13500 S. Cicero Avenue

•Menard’s, 4701 Cal Sag Road

•Village of Crestwood, 13840 S. Cicero Avenue

ALSIP

•Dakota Inn, 12119 S. Pulaski

•Doubek Medical Supply, 11350 S. Cicero Avenue

FRANKFORT

•Dunkin’ Donuts, 19420 S. Harlem

•Peace Community Preschool, 21300 S. La Grange Road

BENSENVILLE

•MARKEN LLP, 425 Country Club Drive

BRIDGEVIEW

•Quality Saw & Seal, Inc., 7600 W. 79th Street

CHICAGO

•Evergreen Real Estate Group, 566 W. Lake Street, Suite 400

COUNTRYSIDE

•Home Depot, 140 Countryside Plaza

LEMONT

•Realty Executives Elite, 15400 127th Street, Suite A

MOKENA

•Dunkin’ Donuts, 8810 W. 191st Street

•On The Spot Mobile Auto Detailing, 8002 189th Street

NEW LENOX

•Target, 2370 E. Lincoln Highway

OAK BROOK

•Fusion Academy, 3041 Butterfield Road, Suite 200

OAK LAWN

•Keller Williams Elite Realty, 4544 W. 103rd Street

PALOS HEIGHTS

•Villa at Palos Heights, 12550 S. Ridgeland Avenue

PARK FOREST

•Grace United Protestant Church, 266 Somonauk Street

SHOREWOOD

•Dunkin’ Donuts, 1201 W. Jefferson

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