Children at Roselle block party raise funds for cancer charity

While adults in a Roselle neighborhood were hosting a block party for charity, one mother said it was the kids who stole the show.

Kari Curry organized the Aug. 7 event at Woodworth Place to bring the neighborhood together and to give back to one of Roselle's non-profit groups, Phil's Friends. Roughly 70 people attended the event and Curry hopes it will be the first of many.

Phil's Friends was created in 2006 after founder, Phil Zielke, survived stage 4B Hodgkin's lymphoma. The Christian health organization supports people with cancer across the country through care packages, hospital visits, and prayer.

Curry said her oldest daughter made her aware of the group from her time as a Girl Scout.

The children at the block party "raised" roughly $150 by gathering all of the adults' food to sell back to them, money the adults were already prepared to donate. Curry was proud of how much the children were able and eager to help.

"It was pretty cute watching them get excited and seeing them get the stuff they bought," she said.

Curry, who works as a manager for Ingredion Inc., said volunteering is important to her. She has previously done volunteer work with Feed My Starving Children in Schaumburg, Gigi's Playhouse at Hoffman Estates, and the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

Curry and the children also received school and other supplies that were donated to Phil's Friends this week. The items include packs of crayons, colored pencils, pens, activity books, journals, packs of tissue, sheets of paper, tooth paste, tooth brushes, lip balm, lotion, playing cards, fuzzy socks, and hand sanitizer.

The block party featured a water balloon toss, hoola hoop contest, a bounce house and a moment to thank the fire department and police for their service to the community.

Curry is looking to host another block party next year, with hopes to involve other groups.

"As the organizer of the block party, I am so proud of the kids on our block," she said. "I wanted to be sure that, as a community, we also took the block party as an opportunity to give back while also getting together to have fun."