Schools
D159 Students Collect 1,800 Toys for Children With Cancer
Student council members from all three Mokena District 159 schools collected a total of 1,800 toys and $277 in cash and gift cards for Orland Park-based charity The Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation.
About 1,800 children undergoing cancer treatment will get a chance to feel like a kid thanks to the student councils from schools.
The student councils from , and collected 1,800 new toys and $277 in cash and gift cards for the Orland Park-based Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation.
The Treasure Chest stocks the closets and toy trunks of 39 cancer treatment centers nationwide, putting toys in the hands of about 7,600 children undergoing cancer treatments each month.
Find out what's happening in Mokenawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"We always try to teach the children to help other people," MES Principal Chris Clavenna said. "I think our students came through with flying colors."
Find out what's happening in Mokenawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
It was the first year D159 directly participated in the community-wide Asset Celebration, organized by religious groups, park districts and school districts from the Lincoln-Way area. The PTA ran toy drives for The Treasure Chest last year.
The Asset Celebration's goal was 8,000 toys.
They raised more than 10,000, Assistant Community Relations Director Charla Brautigam said.
D159 speech-language pathologist Heather Sullivan organized the Mokena district's involvement.
"It was heart-warming to observe these students look beyond themselves towards others who are suffering," Sullivan said in a press release.
Updated at 11:35 a.m. Friday with information about the PTA drives last year.
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