Orland Park Police Officers Band Together for Children

Orland Park Police Officers Brandon Eppolito and Tony Carone did their best Santa Claus impersonation this holiday season by collecting toys, money and gift cards to benefit the Treasure Chest Foundation and young children and teens fighting cancer. The Orland Park Officers are members of a band called “One Timer.” In the spirit of giving, the band sponsored a toy drive during a recent show hosted at Paddy B’s Pub in Orland Park. When the show was over “One Timer” collected a van load of toys, $520 and $20 in gift cards to benefit children fighting cancer.

The Orland Park-based Treasure Chest Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide comfort to children and teens diagnosed with cancer by providing toys from a treasure chest. When asked about the toy drive, Orland Park Police Officer and Band member Brandon Eppolito said, “We have been collecting toys for children with cancer for eight years now and we thought it was a good idea to collect during our event at Paddy B’s. We asked all the guests to bring a new toy to the event and it was a great success.”

Treasure Chest Foundation CEO and Founder Colleen Kisel said, “We are extremely grateful to Orland Park Police Officers, the “One Timer” band, Patty B’s and all the attendees. The Treasure Chest Foundation is thankful for the efforts of each and every participant. It is overwhelming to have the support of such a generous community.”

The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 13,300 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 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.

Pictured: Orland Park Police Officers and “One Timer” band members Brandon Eppolito (right) and Tony Carone among some of the donated toys at the Treasure Chest Foundation’s Orland Park facility.

(Not Pictured): Fellow band members, Ben Stombaugh, John Sepulveda and Brian Heusinkveld.