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Palatine boosters support family of runner hit by car

Palatine High School showed it's a big school with a big heart as its booster club rallied the student body to raise money for the family of Ryan Kissane, an 18-year-old cross country runner who was struck by a car Thursday morning while jogging with teammates.

On Friday evening, the Pirate Boosters held a fundraising event during Friday's red/white basketball scrimmage. Boosters sold T-shirts for a suggested minimum donation of $10. The T-shirts have a Pirate Pete logo and the words "Once a Pirate Always Family" and bears the hashtag #runningwithryan.

All profits will be given to the Kissane family to assist with medical bills.

The boosters plan to hold another fundraiser Dec. 5 during the boys' and girls' varsity games against Fremd.

Ryan Kissane, who remained conscious after the crash but initially appeared to have suffered head trauma, was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. He remains there in stable condition and was well enough Friday to tweet, "Just got my iPod back today! The hospital is treating me well and I'm doing better today than yesterday. Thank god for all the good luck."

He sent another tweet that said, "hopefully I get out of intensive care tonight! you guys are the best Twitter followers ever!"

Ryan's father, Patrick, and his brother, Liam, were on hand at Friday's scrimmage and stood in line for the shirts.

"He said, 'Hi, I'm Mr. Kissane, and I've come to buy some shirts," recounted Alissa DePue, president of the Pirate Boosters,

Kissane said hopes to bring Ryan with him for the Dec. 5 opener. He thanked the boosters, who presented him with $3,000, which DePue said is just the beginning.

The effort began Thursday night, just hours after the accident.

Indeed, DePue said she was sick in bed when she texted fellow booster board members to see if they could pull it together in time for the game.

"They texted me back and said, 'Well, why not? Let's try.'"

From there, everything fell into place. The shirts were donated by Waist-Up Imprinted Sportswear in Palatine, and the effort gained traction on social media.

"It was just supposed to be," she said.

DePue said the group started with about 300 shirts, but it intends to keep replenishing the stock to sell more.

"As long as the community is going to keep buying them, we're going to keep pumping them out," she said.

She said Principal Gary Steiger challenged the students to deplete the stock of shirts within the first 10 minutes of the fundraiser.

DePue said that there will be a link on the Palatine High School Pirate Booster Club Facebook page enabling people to donate online. A donation form will also appear on the club's website, www.phspirateboosters.com. And anyone who wants to donate toward Kissane's medical costs can send a check to the PHS Pirate Boosters, in care of the school at 1111 N. Rohlwing Road, Palatine, IL, 60074.

"This high school is as large as some small college campuses, but it is a tight community," DePue said.

Tom Petersen, spokesman for Palatine Schaumburg Township High School District 211, said he wasn't surprised to see the school come together.

"From what I can understand, everybody knew Ryan, and he was a great kid and well-respected at the building," Petersen said. "So I think everybody is anxious to reach out to show that support and care."

Palatine HS cross country runner hit by car; driver cited

The Pirate Booster Club sells shirts to help the family of senior Ryan Kissane, a cross country runner who was struck by a car. Courtesy of Pirate Booster club
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