Local Businesses provide fun for Kids with Cancer
They say it takes a village to raise a child.
Perhaps it takes even more than that to raise a child with cancer, but a group of local businesses are partnering to help do just that, not only for one child but for 100!
The Caring Arts Foundation, which has provided therapeutic arts programming to Chicago-area cancer patients and their families for over 12 years, is leading an effort to provide a day of “Old Fashioned Picnic Fun” at no cost to 100 children this summer at TLC (Togetherness through Love & Caring) Camp, a week long day camp based in Lombard for children with cancer ages 5-13. Kids come from all over the Chicagoland area and each patient camper is also allowed to bring a sibling. After all, cancer affects them too! TLC Camp is managed by the Lombard Junior Women’s Club. Caring Arts Foundation has partnered with TLC to provide summer fun to these kids for many years. Camp takes place this year from June 17-21 and operates out of the Sunset Knolls Recreation Center in Lombard. This is the 30th year the camp has been in operation. Campers are provided 1-on-1 counselor guidance, 2 volunteer nurses and a paramedic to oversee the medical needs of the children.
The Caring Arts Foundation, located in Oak Park, trains high caliber, professional artists to work with cancer patients of all ages to promote healing through expression. Caring Arts partners with some of the best facilities in the area, such as Lurie Children’s Hospital, Rush University Hospital, University of Chicago Hospitals, Gilda’s Club-Chicago; TLC Camp in Lombard and others.
This year Caring Arts has called on a number of local businesses to partner with them to provide a special day of fun for the kids. Campers will be bused to Elmhurst the morning of June 20, Caring Arts Day at the camp. Destination: Fitz’s Spare Keys on York Rd in downtown Elmhurst for bowling and a rockin’ kids’ concert provided by the Elmhurst School of Rock. While the concert is in full swing, the “Blues on the Grill” barbecue team will prep lunch for the campers, with the help of Evviva Bar & Eatery in Lisle and Midwest Technology Solutions Group of Oak Brook. Burgers, dogs, mac & cheese, Frito pie, Ants on a Log (peanut butter stuffed celery topped with raisins,) and watermelon slices will await the hungry campers as they return to base camp for lunch. Following lunch, the Discover Card’s Network Marketing and Products Solutions team will put together an afternoon of old fashioned picnic games.
“Helping the Caring Arts Foundation on behalf of local cancer patients is one of our favorite things to do each year,” says Russ Jarvis of the Blues on the Grill team. The team, which also consists of grilling enthusiasts Butch Willard and Ken Soreng pitches in to help Caring Arts at a variety of events. This village of local businesses knows what it means to lend a helping hand.