When we think of auto care, we normally think of brakes, struts, shocks and exhausts, but FullServ Auto Care in Oak Forest hosted an exhausting drive recently that shocked the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation (POTCF) by raising more than $1000 for children and teens fighting cancer.
The POTCF is a non-profit organization that provides comfort and distraction from painful procedures to children and teens diagnosed with cancer by providing a toy, gift or gift card in 45 hospitals across 16 states nationwide. And as a trusted provider of complete auto repair services, FullServ Auto Care takes pride in providing solutions to automotive needs—rather than merely replacing parts—by delivering quality products and dependable service at reasonable rates.
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To encourage their customers’ participation in the drive, FullServ Auto Care raffled off gift cards for auto repair services at their facility along with a variety of promotion services.
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FullServ Auto Care Owner Susan Khattab drew inspiration from the battles her family members and a friend fought against cancer in finding the motivation to help the POTCF. “I learned a lot about cancer by watching my parents die from the disease within 128 days of each other,” explained Ms. Khattab. “And I lost my best friend to cancer just last month. So when the Treasure Chest Foundation became one of our customers, we partnered together for kids fighting cancer. We then asked each of our 3,000 customers to support our endeavor.”
Treasure Chest Foundation CEO and Founder Colleen Kisel recognizes and appreciates the dedication shown by FullServ Auto Care. “I am amazed what a new business can do for a charity like ours,” said Ms. Kisel. “FullServ Auto Care had an idea, and just look at what one small business has accomplished in such a short time. We are thankful for their support that will certainly provide joy to young people battling cancer.”
The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 7,900 young cancer patients each month. 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 20th anniversary of remission from the disease in 2013.
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.
