Granger family thankful for students help
Revere High School senior Jackie
Mostow has organized a care bag drive to benefit the
Kylie Jane Long Foundation.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth
Long
By Maria Lindsay
GRANGER — Area students have been working hard to collect cash and donations for the Kylie Jane Long Foundation, which provides assistance to families of chronically and critically ill pediatric patients.
Elizabeth Long, executive director of the foundation, said area students recently donated cash and care bags filled with items most used by families dealing with constant visits to a hospital. She said another group is planning to donate blankets for children.
“Seeing students get involved in philanthropic efforts is a gift in itself, and we are all giving thanks for the difference they are making,” said Long, of Granger.
The foundation was created in memory of Kylie Jane, Long and her husband Jason’s daughter, who died three days after her first birthday in May 2005 after battling pediatric liver cancer for four months. The registered nonprofit foundation works to enhance the lives of pediatric patients and their families by providing assistance, improving physical spaces, educating parents and medical staff, and raising awareness of rare pediatric cancers.
The Longs have since had a son, Andrew, in August 2005, and another son, Thomas, this past June.
Area students have helped in
the foundation’s mission by
collecting items for care bags and money to fund other
efforts. The foundation offers suggestions for the care
bags compiled by the Longs from their experience with
hospital stays.
Long explained that earlier this
year, second-grade Brownie Troop No. 392, based at St.
Hilary School in Fairlawn, organized a spare change
drive and collected $741 in cash and items for the care
bags.
In the Revere Local Schools District,
two care bag drives have been organized, including one
last spring by 2007 Revere High School graduate
Haley Jones and one this month
by senior Jackie Mostow.
“These are needed by families
who won’t leave their child’s side to get
them,” said Long, a Revere High School alumna.
She also said Highland High School
students are making blankets to give to hospitalized
children.
“We are absolutely in awe
of how all these students banded together to help other
children and families in need,” Long said. “We
are humbled and touched by the kindness of local students.”
The foundation has used these
donations and others to deliver more than 300
care bags to families of hospitalized
children, to brighten hospital stays by decorating a
child’s room during holidays and to assist families
to overcome financial burdens, ensuring they can be
with their sick child.
Items collected for the care
bags include: a blanket, long distance calling card,
toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, lotion, hand sanitizer,
flip-flops for showers, deodorant, lip balm, shampoo
and conditioner, laundry supplies, tissues, gum, plastic
zippered bags to hold toiletries, a disposable camera
and a journal.
In addition, the organization
currently is hosting its annual Twinkle Light Toy Drive,
with collection boxes located in area Fussy Cleaners
stores for new, unwrapped toys and gifts (gifts for
infants and teens are needed most), wrapping supplies
and strands of holiday lights to hang in a child’s
hospital room.
The foundation also plans to
host Hope on the Slopes, a team relay event at Boston
Mills/Brandywine Ski resort Feb. 23. That event will
include skiing, snowboarding or tubing in a relay format,
as well as a silent auction, raffles, a cardboard sled
race, live entertainment,
a torch light parade and more. Details are available
at www.hopeontheslopes.com.
Long suggested anyone can help
others by visiting www.
goodsearch.com, a Yahoo-powered
search engine that donates money to a registered charity
or school of your choice each time you search the Web
or shop online.
For more information about the
foundation, visit www. kyliejanelong.org or
call (330) 808-KJLF (808-5553).
|
