Chesterbrook students make donations to Ronald McDonald House
Saving the day in their own way, elementary school students from Naperville's Chesterbrook Academy spent a recent morning playing superheroes by contributing supplies to the Ronald McDonald House near Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield.
Academy leaders and the students said they wanted to make a difference in their community by donating items such as cutting boards and a kitchen blender for use in the 19,000-square-foot, two-story Craftsman-style house that provides low-cost or free housing for families who travel great distances to get treatment for seriously ill or injured children at CDH, Delnor Hospital in Geneva and a cancer treatment campus in Warrenville.
Kindergarten and third-grade students from the academy spent the past few months raising almost $600 to purchase items listed on the charity's wish list.
In addition to collecting pop tabs, the students decided they wanted to be creative with their fundraising, so they sold handmade superhero masks, popcorn and pendants.
The students also created boy and girl superhero mask designs that they then made and packaged with little notes to place into each family's mailbox at the house.
It was "a little way to say everyone can be a superhero no matter what," third-grade teacher Carrie Jo Snyder said.
Katie Allabough, director of the Winfield Ronald McDonald House, praised the students for their willingness to get involved. She said the academy's contributions align directly with the charity's mission to keep families together and help one another.
"They want to help, they want to be involved, and they want to understand," she said.
The youngsters also took a tour of the house to increase their knowledge of the charity. Allabough said it was good exposure for the kids because it helps them understand that children are part of the house and they are helping youngsters just like themselves.
"Kids helping kids is a great aspect of it," she said.
Kindergarten teacher Kathy Nelson said the academy opted to help Ronald McDonald House because of the direct impact it has on children and families.
After months of buildup and anticipation, she said delivering supplies and seeing the house really brought it home for the students.
"They all decided it was a wonderful place and it had the biggest kitchen they had ever seen," Nelson said. "I think they were proud that they were able to do something to help."