Oak Forest Resident Delivers Smiles of Joy to Children

Long-time donor Richard Larson of Oak Forest believes in supporting children and teens fighting cancer. Richard stopped by the Treasure Chest Foundation’s Orland Park warehouse, inquired about volunteering and left the facility with the arduous task of delivering 100’s of pounds of toys to various Children’s Cancer Treatment Centers located in the Chicagoland area to benefit the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation.

When asked about delivering the toys Richard Larson said, “Anything I can do to help kids with cancer. The Treasure Chest Foundation is a great organization.”

“The Treasure Chest Foundation is especially grateful for Richard’s enormous donation of time,” said an appreciative Ms. Kisel. “I’m overwhelmed by Mr. Larson’s remarkable demonstration of thoughtfulness and generosity. We are blessed to have his support.”

The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 14,600 young cancer patients in 62 cancer treatment centers in 20 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 28th 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 708-687-TOYS (8697) or visit the Foundation’s website at www.treasurechest.org.