Patti Rose Gives to Treasure Chest Foundation in Memory of Girlfriends

The Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation (POTCF) recently received a donation of more than 1,000 toys thanks to a woman who spearheaded fifteen community-wide toy drives in memory of her childhood friends and sisters Cathy and Alison who died of cancer.

Tinley Park resident Patti Rose said “Twelve years ago I spoke to my friend’s Mom, Nan Beard, about giving back and she introduced me to the Treasure Chest Foundation, thus I started “Remembering Cathy and Alison” annual holiday toy drive. When you help someone else, it helps you to forget about the stresses in your life. I do this because of what it does for the kids. The generosity of the people brings tears to my eyes.”

The schools and businesses that participated this year included John A. Bannes School, Helen Keller School, Virgil I. Grissom Middle School, Christa McAuliffe School, Millennium Elementary School, Fernway Park Elementary School, Prairie View Middle School and Andrew High School (all located in Tinley Park), Dunkin Donuts (three locations: Tinley Park, Mokena and New Lenox), Hope Montessori and Salina’s Pizza in Tinley Park, Brannigan Chiropractic Center and C2 Learning in Orland Park.

POTCF Founder and CEO Colleen Kisel said, “Patti Rose formulated this idea twelve years ago when she delivered one van load of toys. Twelve years later Patti dropped off more than four van loads of toys making this one of her best toy drives on record. Patti is truly a rose.”

The POTCF’s unique services impact more than 9,300 young cancer patients each month in 49 hospitals across 17 states and the District of Columbia. 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, 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 22nd anniversary of remission from the disease in 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.