Orland Park Boy Hosts Third Annual “Cups 4 Cancer” Lemonade Stand

Young Austin Bielski (age 10) of Orland Park is giving once again to children and teens fighting cancer. Austin recently held his third “Cups 4 Cancer” Lemonade Stand in front of the family home in Orland Park to benefit the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation. At the end of the hot summer two-day event more than 100 people stopped to quench their thirst and helped Austin’s lemonade stand raise $2,120 for the Treasure Chest Foundation, an Orland Park-based, non-profit organization that provides comfort and distraction from painful procedures to children and teens diagnosed with cancer by providing toys and gift cards in 60 hospitals nationwide. During the past three years Austin has raised an impressive $2,873.55 to benefit children and teens fighting cancer. Austin wanted to do something to help kids fighting cancer. He liked the idea of a lemonade stand and got to work creating the name. Austin said, “I made ‘keep sake’ cups for the event this year. My great-grandmother Dorothy Barron supported the Treasure Chest and I wanted to continue supporting it because of her.”

Austin’s Mom Candice Bielski added, “We wanted to set a ‘Corona’ goal of $300 and we passed it! We felt the ‘keep sake’ cups would help for the two-day event.” Candice added, “I 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.”

“The POTCF is especially grateful to Austin for his enormous donation of $2,120,” said Colleen Kisel, Founder and CEO of the Treasure Chest Foundation. “There are so many kids impacted by childhood cancer today. Just look at what one little boy can do.”

The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 14,000 young cancer patients in 60 cancer treatment centers in 20 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 27th anniversary of remission from the disease in March.

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 (l-r): Austin Bielski (age 10) and little brother Colin (age 7) present the $2,120 donation while visiting the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation’s Orland Park facility. During the past three years Austin has raised an impressive $2,873.55. Children and teens battling cancer will benefit from the overwhelming success of Austin Bielski’s third annual “Cups 4 Cancer” Lemonade Stand.

Not pictured: Big brother Ethan (age 13)