St. Michael’s School in Orland Park Participates in Field Trip

Over one hundred second and third grade students from St. Michael’s School in Orland Park participated in a field trip to the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation. The students joined forces together to collect toys and gift cards for children and teens served by the foundation. The field trip consisted of a “behind the scenes” tour of the workings of the Treasure Chest Foundation. Students were instructed to properly label each donated toy and store their donation in the appropriate category inside the Orland Park facility. The students seemed delighted by the large facility and its important role of helping children and teens fighting cancer. When the field trip was over the students collected hundreds of toys, $190 in gift cards and $50 for the Treasure Chest Foundation.

Third grade teacher Susan Quane said, “The service project is to help the students understand and see for themselves the meaning of helping others. This field trip provides these young students the opportunity to see all the good that can be done with their help. Seeing is believing.”

The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 13,000 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 earlier this year.

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 1 caption: Third grade students from St. Michael’s School at the Treasure Chest Foundation’s Orland Park warehouse deliver toys destined for children fighting cancer.

Photo 2 caption: Third grade students from St. Michael’s School prepare toys for children fighting cancer at the Treasure Chest Foundation’s Orland Park warehouse.

Photo 3 caption: Second grade students from St. Michael’s School stop working for a quick photo at the Treasure Chest Foundation’s Orland Park warehouse