Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansing Helps Children with Cancer

Trinity Lutheran Church recently gave to children fighting cancer by organizing a toy drive to benefit the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation (POTCF). The Orland Park-based non-profit organization provides comfort and distraction from painful treatments to children and teens diagnosed with cancer by providing toys, gifts or gift cards in 51 hospitals across 18 states nationwide.

Trinity Lutheran Church Mission Coordinator Tracy Winter said, AEvery month Trinity Lutheran Church has an “Evergreen Giving Tree” and we collect for worthy causes. This month we choose to help kids that are fighting cancer.@

Treasure Chest Foundation CEO and Founder Colleen Kisel said, AWe are extremely grateful to the Trinity Lutheran Church parishioners for their support. Their tremendous donation will help brave children and teens battling cancer.@

The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 12,500 young cancer patients enduring 20,000 clinic visits each month in 18 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 24th 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 caption (L-R):

Trinity Lutheran Church Mission Coordinator Tracy Winter displays some of the donated toys and books at the Treasure Chest Foundation=s warehouse in Orland Park, to benefit childhood cancer patients nationwide, while weekly volunteer Jackie O’Rourke looks on.