Local hockey teams brings hope to Shriners patients

Area kids from 18 teams in the Northwest Chargers Hockey Association recently brought a large toy donation for patients at Shriners Hospitals for Children-Chicago.

Hockey players ages 5 to 17 collected toys and brought them to the association's annual Charger Day tournament held at the Mount Prospect Ice Arena.

The Chargers is a nonprofit youth hockey organization serving the Northwest suburbs of Arlington Heights, Barrington, Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, Lake Zurich, Mount Prospect, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg and the surrounding areas.

"Shriners Hospitals was selected as the toy drive's beneficiary because of the fact that no child in need of your services is every turned away from your door; regardless of their ability to pay for those services," Kim Dahlin, a representative of the hockey association, said.

Shriners Hospitals for Children-Chicago, 2211 N. Oak Park Ave., Chicago, provides specialty pediatric care to children ages 18 and younger in orthopedics for conditions such as clubfoot, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, arthritis and sports medicine, but also services for cleft lip and palate, and physical rehabilitation and spinal cord injury rehabilitation. All care and services are provided regardless of a family's ability to pay.

Mary McCauley, donations coordinator at the Chicago Shriners Hospital, said the visit by players was like Christmas in July, as toy donations are especially appreciated this time of year.

"During the summer months, our donations slow and we use up what we received in the holiday period … The donation was also very large and full of a great variety of items that are latex free and variable in age."

Is your family or organization interested in donating? The children's hospital setting means there are some rules and requirements for donations the Shriners Hospitals for Children can accept.

To see a list of suggested items, visit www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/chicago/donating-items.

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