In the spirit of giving, the clients from Elim Christian Adult Services are helping children and teens fighting cancer. The clients sponsored a toy drive to benefit the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation (POTCF), an Orland Park-based, non-profit organization that provides comfort and distraction from painful procedures to children and teens diagnosed with cancer by providing a toy or gift card in 48 hospitals across 17 states nationwide.
Four years ago a group of clients from the Elim Christian Adult Services Building started volunteering their time at the Treasure Chest Foundation. Bob Hillegonds, an Elim client, was very concerned about helping out by providing toys to children fighting cancer. Bob noticed the toy drives were slowing down and he then singlehandedly spearheaded the Elim Christian Services Summer Toy Drive at four Elim buildings. For his hard work and efforts, Bob earned the nickname “The Toy Man.”
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When asked about his motivation for organizing the successful drive, Bob offered a straightforward explanation, saying, “I want to keep the Treasure Chests full for the kids.” To which Elim Instructor Lynne Huiner simply nodded and replied, “The clients took a big role in the Toy Drive.”
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Treasure Chest Foundation CEO and Founder Colleen Kisel extended her most sincere gratitude to Mr. Hillegonds and the clients for their efforts in organizing another innovative and successful toy drive. “Toy drives typically dry up during the summer months,” said Colleen. “Mr. Hillegonds noticed our dilemma and he personally spearheaded the Elim Christian Services Summer Toy Drive. Thanks to his dedication and the hard work of numerous Elim clients, brave young cancer patients across the nation will be able to select toys from the Treasure Chest following painful procedures and treatments.”
The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 9,000 young cancer patients each month in 17 states across the nation. Nowhere else in the nation does such a program exist. CEO 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 recently celebrated his 21st anniversary of remission from the disease.
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.
