Community Corner
Orland Park Boy Hosts Sixth Annual “Cups 4 Cancer” Lemonade Stand
Orland Park Boy Hosts Sixth Annual "Cups 4 Cancer" Lemonade Stand to Benefit the Treasure Chest Foundation
On July 25th and 26th Austin Bielski (age 13) of Orland Park held his Sixth Annual “Cups 4 Cancer” Lemonade Stand at his home in Orland Park to benefit the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation. The lemonade stand raised $8,000 for the Treasure Chest Foundation. Since its inception, this popular event has raised more than $25,900 for children and teens fighting cancer.
Austin’s Mom Candice Bielski added, “Summers are hard on charities. The kids the Treasure Chest Foundation serves don’t get to take the summer off. Their treatments go on and on for years. This is why we do what we do. We wanted to make this lemonade stand an annual tradition because it’s such a great cause and it’s hard to watch these kids go through cancer treatment. Cancer does not stop because of summer.”
Kendra Connor, Executive Director of the Treasure Chest said, “We are so grateful for and proud of Austin. He has put a lot of time and effort over many years raising thousands for us. His dedication is an example we can all follow. His donation will directly impact so many children and teens fighting cancer.”
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The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 16,100 young cancer patients in 66 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 30th anniversary of remission from the disease in March of this year.
If you would like further information about the Treasure Chest Foundation, please contact Kendra Connor at 1-708-687-TOYS (8697) or visit the Foundation’s website at www.treasurechest.org.
