Chicago Christian High School Students Leo Club Helps Kids with Cancer

The Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation was recently awarded toys thanks to the tireless work of the Chicago Christian High School in Palos Heights Leo Club. Leo Club member Hannah Soucek said, “The Chicago Christian High Leo Club sees what a hard situation these kids are in, and we want to do anything we can to make even a small part of the experience a little bit better. We want to put smiles on the kids' faces, and we hope the toys collected will bring some joy to the kids.”

The word “Leo” stands for leadership, experience and opportunity. Leo Clubs are a youth organization of Lions Clubs International. It currently is the largest Lion youth program in the world.

Ms. Kisel showed her appreciation for the students, “Clubs like the Leo Club are the lifeblood of our foundation, without the student's help we would never be able to provide smiles of joy to thousands of young cancer patients every month.”

The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 16,100 young cancer patients in 66 cancer treatment centers in 21 states across the nation and in the District of Columbia. 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 29th anniversary of remission from the disease in March of this year.

If you would like further information about the Treasure Chest Foundation, please contact Colleen Kisel at 1-708-687-TOYS (8697) or visit the Foundation’s website at www.treasurechest.org.