Orland Park Teen Pageant Winner Helps Other Teens With Cancer

ORLAND PARK, IL -- Orland Park teen Jamie Curtin (16) is giving back to teens fighting cancer. Jamie recently won first place in the Miss Illinois and Miss Wisconsin High School America Pageant that represents Illinois and Wisconsin. As her service project Jamie focused on collecting teen items at her home and TNT Extreme Dance Studio in Tinley Park. The items were donated to benefit the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation (POTCF), a non-profit organization that provide toys, gifts and gift cards to children and teens diagnosed with cancer nationwide. More than 100 items collected will directly benefit teens battling cancer.

The Miss High School America Pageant competition exists for the purpose of providing personal and professional opportunities for high school girls. The goal is to provide outstanding high school girls the opportunity to compete in a pageant system that has the highest of moral values.

“The support of the local community means a lot and we are extremely grateful for this generous donation. It was very honorable of first place Miss High School America Pageant winner Jamie Curtin and TNT Extreme Dance Studio to help teens who are battling cancer.” said Colleen Kisel, Founder and CEO of the Treasure Chest Foundation. “Because of this huge display of generosity, the program continues to support children and teens fighting cancer monthly in our nation.”

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 earlier this year.

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.

Photo caption:

Miss High School America Pageant first place winner teen Jamie Curtin displays the donated gifts at the Treasure Chest Foundation’s Orland Park warehouse. The toys, gifts and gift cards will bring smiles of joy to hundreds of children and teens battling cancer across the nation.