Gift of Hope Receives Generous Donation from 11-Year-Old CEO of Felix's Famous Cookies
ITASCA, Ill. (January 20, 2017) - In honor of his late grandmother and inspired by her philanthropic spirit, Felix Castillo, the 11-year-old CEO of Mundelein based Felix's Famous Cookies, pledged to donate a portion of its sales every month to a non-profit organization that is committed to serving and making a difference in the community. Felix Castillo named Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network as the December beneficiary for this this generous donation.
"When my mom died we had no idea she was a registered donor," said Laura Castillo, Felix's mother. "Donation is not an easy or common topic to talk about in the Hispanic culture. We honored my mother's decision to help others and are thrilled to support Gift of Hope in her name."
The Castillo family was touched by donation a second time when Felix's paternal grandfather received a kidney transplant after being on dialysis for many years.
"It is such a bittersweet yet extraordinary feeling to know that someone has so selflessly given of themselves so that others can continue to live," said Felix Castillo.
On January 18, Felix met with Kevin Cmunt, President/CEO of Gift of Hope, and presented him with a check for $750, the largest donation to date.
"We are honored to receive such a generous gift from Felix and everyone at Felix's Famous Cookies," said Cmunt. "This gift will help us continue to save and enhance lives through organ and tissue donation throughout the communities we serve."
Visit felixsfamouscookies.com to learn more about Felix and his extraordinary commitment to giving.
About Gift of Hope
Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network is a not-for-profit organ procurement organization entrusted by the nation's healthcare system with coordinating organ and tissue donation and providing donor family services and public education in Illinois and northwest Indiana. It has
coordinated donations that have saved the lives of more than 20,000 organ transplant recipients and improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of tissue transplant recipients. As one of 58 organ procurement organizations that make up the nation's organ and tissue donation system, Gift of Hope works with 180 hospitals and serves 12 million residents in its donation service area. For
more information about Gift of Hope and organ and tissue donation, visit GiftofHope.org.