Itasca teens help charity, have fun

In today's world, teenagers often get a bad reputation, and the good that they do is often overshadowed. It's time we take the opportunity as a community to recognize them and tell them how important they are to the future of America and that the good deeds they do aren't overlooked.

I would like to thank a group of teenage boys from St. Peter the Apostle School and Parish in Itasca for giving up their Saturday night activities to do charity work. This group of teenagers - Stone Brinkman, Grant Hennessy, Marcus Lattoria, John Hower, Clark Brinkman and Jax Castellanos - participated in the second annual junior high school dodgeball championship hosted by Immaculate Conception High School in Elmhurst.

Their participation in this event not only earned them first place, but also allowed them to donate $600 to their charity of choice. The St. Peter team "Illini" captured the championship in two games and as the trophies were handed out, it was announced that they would be donating the proceeds of the event to the Breast Cancer Foundation.

As adults, we can learn from their charitable work. Raising money for charities doesn't have to be labor-intensive. These teens rallied their troops on a Saturday night to have a good time while earning money for a very worthy cause. Thank you to the St. Peter School and Parish kids for showing us a good example. Congratulations on your accomplishments.

Maria Busato-Davlantis

Itasca