Palatine garage sale to help family with cancer
They say, one of the benefits of growing up in a large family is the ability for siblings to come together in times of hardship.
That appears to be the case for the Schager family, whose 14 children grew up in Palatine. They all are rallying around their 5-year-old nephew, Griffin Schager, son of their middle brother, Louis, who was diagnosed with a rare type of pediatric cancer in November.
On Saturday, the family will host a yard sale at Palatine High School - where all 14 Schagers attended - to raise money for the financial challenges incurred by Griffin's family and others like them, battling pediatric cancer.
"Palatine High School is where we all went to school, so it's very generous of them to give us the space to use," says Bridget Schager, now living in Chicago.
The yard sale will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the school's faculty lot, located on the west side of Palatine High School, 1111 N. Rohlwing Road in Palatine.
With the size of the family, and its wide network of acquaintances, the siblings were able to gather a variety of high quality items for the sale.
Some of the highlights include a four-poster bed and matching bedroom set, an antique sewing table, several oak dining room sets, a formal breakfront, as well as patio sets, entertainment centers, adult and children's clothes, toys, games and books.
Raffle prizes also will be on display. For $5 a chance or $20 for five tickets, patrons stand the chance to win everything from a weekend package at the Wisconsin Dells, to a Nintendo DS system, to Chicago White Sox tickets.
All proceeds will benefit the Griffin Schager Fight Club Fund, set up by his extended family to help offset the family's mounting expenses, as well as other families at the Ronald McDonald House, outside Sloan-Kettering Medical Center in New York, where Griffin is being treated.
Last fall, Griffin complained of pain in his hip, which turned out to be a fast growing malignant tumor of the soft tissue, called rhabdomyosarcoma, rubbing up against his intestine.
At the time of diagnosis, his father was set to be deployed as an F-18 pilot with the Navy, but he has been temporarily reassigned to a domestic fighter wing while handling his son's medical crisis.
In a phone interview, Louis Schager said his son is halfway through his treatment protocol, and that he is doing well. However, doctors expect his chemotherapy treatments to continue through December.
"I would love to be there, and in a perfect world, Griffin would love to be there," Louis Schager said. "He loves to see his cousins. It really lifts him up."
Family members point out that the Griffin Fight Club Fund is a grass-roots effort, and does not have tax-exempt status. They stress that any donations will not be tax-deductible, but say 100 percent of the donations will go to pediatric cancer families.
If you go
What: Yard sale to benefit the Griffin Schager Fight Club Fund, and families battling pediatric cancer
When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday
Where: Faculty parking lot on the west side of Palatine High School, 1111 W. Rohlwing Road in Palatine
Cost: Free