CHSD170 Students and Friends Partner with The Flamini Foundation to Spread Holiday Cheer
The students joined together to brighten the holidays for children facing hardship as 2020 nears its end
Students from CHSD170’s Greenbriar School, the Chicago Heights Middle School, and some friends recently partnered with The Flamini Foundation to provide holiday cheer for youngsters at a pair of local healthcare facilities.
Anthony Aurelio, Brody Berg, Tyler Carlson, Bronx DeBergh, Angelo Propst (Greenbriar), Rocco DeBergh, and Maddie Rogers (CHMS), and friends Jack and Ryan Castady, raised $500 in gift cards and collected toys to brighten the holidays for children who might not be able to participate in year-end celebrations at home.
Last week some of the students joined Flamini Foundation President Theresa Flamini in delivering the donations to Crown Point’s St. Anthony’s Hospital and the Franciscan St. Clare Health Clinic. The clinic is a primary care provider emphasizing prevention, early detection, patient education, and serving those who endure hardship in accessing quality healthcare.
“The students were absolutely wonderful!” Flamini exclaimed. “They were exceptionally polite and helpful in dealing with everyone at the facilities we visited, and their commitment to helping others and spreading good cheer earned justifiable praise from everyone affiliated with St. Anthony’s and St. Clare’s.”
“All of Chicago Heights School District 170 and the children’s families deserve recognition for raising young men and women such as these,” Flamini added.
Greenbriar Principal Joe Taylor also praised the students, saying, “I am so very proud of the initiative and empathy that these youngsters have shown in organizing and completing such an altruistic undertaking. They are to be commended and recognized for their efforts to brighten the holiday season for infirm youngsters in our area.”
The students learned of The Flamini Foundation’s history of helping hospitals across the Chicagoland area and decided to join in the effort. The undertaking was especially poignant since this is the final year of existence for the foundation, which has worked tirelessly to bring help and support to thousands of young patients and their parents and families at a time of great need.
“The students got together and decided that they would raise money to lighten the holidays for children who, especially in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, may feel so alone and isolated in the hospital,” said Adele Propst, Angelo’s mother.
“They realized that during this pandemic, families might not be able to join together to embrace the holiday spirit,” added Lisa DiGiovanni, a member of the CHSD170 Board of Education and Tyler Carlson’s mother.
“Each student realized that some children would be spending the holidays away from their loved ones and feel isolated and forgotten as the year comes to an end. They decided to do everything they could to give back to the community and help those youngsters have a happy holiday,” DiGiovanni concluded.