Oak Forest High School Holiday Toy Drive to Benefit Children with Cancer

Members of two Oak Forest High School clubs are giving to children and teens fighting cancer this holiday season. The Snowball Club, led by teacher Ken Valiska, and the Rotary-Interact Club, led by teacher Brian McDonough, conducted a school-wide holiday toy drive to assist the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation (POTCF), an Orland Park-based, non-profit organization which provides toys and gift cards to childhood cancer patients. After the last item was collected the toy drive had taken in more than 2,024 toys and $290 in gift cards, making it the largest donation since the high school began contributing to the Treasure Chest Foundation back in 2003.

“We’re thrilled that our students achieved such impressive results for a cause as worthy as helping kids with cancer,” said Ken Valiska. “We enjoy helping children in need around the holidays. Anyone going through such a difficult bout with cancer should deserve toys and any type of cheer they can, especially around the holidays.”

POTCF CEO and Founder Colleen Kisel expressed her profound gratitude for the generous support shown by the students and staff of Oak Forest High School. “The Treasure Chest Foundation is especially grateful to the Oak Forest High School members for their enormous donation of toys, gifts and gift cards,” said Ms. Kisel. “Their generosity will enable our Foundation to continue supporting thousands of children and teens each month at Hope Children’s Hospital and other cancer treatment centers across the country in 2016.”

The not-for-profit Treasure Chest Foundation now supports more than 9,300 children and teens each month who are diagnosed with cancer by providing a toy or gift card in 49 hospitals nationwide. Nowhere else in the nation does such a program exist. Ms. Kisel founded the organization in 1996 after her then seven-year-old son Martin had been diagnosed with leukemia in 1993. She discovered that giving her son a toy after each procedure provided a calming distraction from his pain. Martin celebrated his 22nd anniversary of remission from the disease in March of 2015.

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:

Members of Oak Forest High School (left to right, front row) Liam Weaver and Rachel Greenhill, (left to right, back row) Jade Bronkala, Cassie Greenhill, teacher Ken Valiska, Kaitlyn Nowicki, Oak Forest alum Erica Bergstrom, Santa Claus Jimmy Bryson and Mrs. Claus Margaret Bryson are pictured with just a few of the more than 2,000 toys collected during the schools’ recent holiday toy drive. The gifts will be shipped to cancer treatment centers nationwide where they will help provide smiles of joy to brave childhood cancer patients.