About Us
THE FOUNDATION WAS CREATED BY RAY VANCO AT THE AGE OF 8 YEARS OLD. RAY WANTED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD BY HELPING CHILDREN. ON A VISIT TO A CHILDRENS HOSPITAL HE SAW KIDS WHO DIDN'T GET TO GO HOME DUE TO ILLNESS AT THE HOLIDAYS. HE FELT PRESENTS ALWAYS MADE HIM SMILE WHEN HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL, SO DECIDED TO MAKE AS MANY OTHERS SMILE AS HE COULD.
THE FIRST YEAR (2005) RAY DECIDED TO DO THIS HE MET A WONDERFUL YOUNG MAN NAMED MARK WHO HAD STARTED HIS OWN TOY DRIVE, HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL HIMSELF. HE WAS A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF WHAT RAY WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH AND RAY JOINED IN MARKS CRUSADE AS ONE OF HIS ELVES. SADLY, MARK PASSED ON AT THE YOUNG AGE OF 17.
IN 2006, A SECOND TOY DRIVE COLLECTED 1,800 TOYS AND OVER $2,000 IN CASH. BY THIS TIME, RAY HAD STARTED VISITING THE HOSPITAL AS A FREQUENT PATIENT HIMSELF. (TO DATE RAY HAS HAD 6 BRAIN SURGERIES ANS 20 SPINAL SURGERIES) RAYS VISION WAS THAT ALL SICK CHILDREN RECEIVE TOYS, SO A SECOND HOSPITAL WAS PICKED AND SERVICED. THE CASH WAS USED TO PURCHASE A PLAYSTATION III FOR THE IN-PATIENT PLAYROOM, NEW MOBILES FOR ALL OF THE CRIBS IN THE NICU UNIT, AND NEW TOYS, PUZZLES AND GAMES FOR THE MAIN WAITING ROOM AT COMERS CHILDRENS HOSPITAL. FINALLY, ON CHRISTMAS DAY, SANTA VISITED EVERY CHILD AND DELIVERED AN AGE APPROPRIATE GIFT BAG TO EACH AT COMERS CHILDRENS HOSPITAL. CHILDRENS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, AS WELL AS THE SATELLITE IN TINLEY PARK CONTINUED TO BE RECIPIENTS AS WELL.
IN 2007, RAY AND HIS FAMILY DECIDED TO FORM "RAY VANCO CHILDRENS FOUNDATION" AS AN ILLINOIS NOT –FOR- PROFIT CORPORATION. THE FOUNDERS HAVE CONTINUED TO RUN TOY DRIVE WITH THE GOAL OF COLLECTING MORE TOYS AND SERVICING MORE CHILDREN THROUGH-OUT THE CHICAGOLAND AREA. THE 2007 TOY DRIVE COLLECTED OVER 4,000 TOY AS WELL AS CASH TO PURCHASE LAPTOP COMPUTERS FOR ONE HOSPITAL. THE THIRD HOSPITAL WAS PICKED, AND LARABIDA CHILDRENS HOSPITAL WAS THE NEWEST RECIPIENT. EVERY CHILD THERE WAS ALSO ABLE TO RECEIVE A GIFT BAG.
2008 BROUGHT ON NEW CHALLENGES. THE FOUNDATION JUMPED INTO FUND RAISING FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH. A FUN-FILLED EVENING OF DINNER AND HORSE RACING WAS PLANNED. OVER 225 SUPPORTERS CAME OUT FOR FUN, FOOD AND AN EXCELLENT RAFFLE OF WONDERFUL PRIZES. THE FOUNDATION RAISED $19,000 TO DONATE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH OF A RARE DISEASE NAMED “INTRA CRANIAL HYPERTENSION”. THE TOY DRIVE WAS EVEN MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN ALL OF THE PREVIOUS YEARS. 4,500 TOYS WERE COLLECTED AND SHARED BY THE ABOVE HOSPITALS, AS WELL AS A LOCAL CHILDRENS SHELTER LOCATED IN JOLIET, IL
2009 WAS THE BIGGEST YEAR EVER. ALMOST 7,000 TOYS CAME IN AND A NEW HOSPITAL WAS PICKED. WITH THE HELP OF MARY COMPTON FROM THE SOUTHTOWN NEWSPAPER, WE DONATED TO INGALLS HOSPITAL AS WELL.
2010 DID NOT DISAPPOINT, THANK YOU ALL ONCE AGAIN FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! OVER 8,000 TOYS WERE COLLECTED AND PASSED OUT TO SO MANY OVERJOYED CHILDREN. 3 CHILDRENS HOSPITALS WERE SERVICED AS WELL AS 2 SHELTERS FOR DOMESTIC ABUSE AND VIOLENCE AND SEVERAL LOCAL FAMILIES WHO WERE FINANCIALLY STRUGGLING DUE TO ILLNESS. THE FUND RAISER AT BARRACO'S PIZZA WAS A HUGE SUCCESS, WITH OVER 250 PEOPLE ATTENDING. THANK YOU BARACCO'S FOR DONATING YOUR FACILITY AND YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! A GREAT TIME WAS HAD BY ALL, FOOD RAFFLES AND DOOR PRIZES WERE EVERYWHERE. THE AFTERNOON ROUNDED OUT WITH APPEARANCES BY 2 OF OUR OWN CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (SKILLE & DOWELL), WHO GENEROUSLY GAVE AUTOGRAPHS UNTIL EVERYONE HAD THEIR ITEMS SIGNED. THEY ALSO ATE LUNCH WITH US AND MINGLED WITH THE GUESTS. WHAT A WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION, AND HEARTFELT PLAYERS TO TAKE THE DAY OUT TO SPEND WITH US!
OCTOBER OF 2011 HAS BROUGHT NEW HOPE. RAY VANCO TRAVELED TO COLUMBUS OHIO WITH HIS FAMILY TO MEET A NEW RESEARCHER. DR. DEBORAH GRYZBOWSKI IS A RESEARCHER AT OHIO STATE WELCOMED RAY INTO HER LAB. SHE WAS VERY GENEROUS ABOUT SHOWING HIM HER RESEARCH, AND DISCUSSING HER GOAL OF UNDERSTANDING PSEUDO TUMOR CEREBRI IN HOPES OF FINDING A CURE SOME DAY. RAY WAS PLEASED TO PRESENT HER WITH A CHECK FOR $10,000.00 TO PUT TOWARD HER RESEARCH. WE WILL BE KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH HER AND MAKING FUTURE DONATIONS AS HER RESEARCH PROGRESSES.
THE HOPE OF THE RAY VANCO CHILDRENS FOUNDATION IS TO BE ABLE TO SERVICE ALL OF THE CHILDRENS HOSPITALS, AS WELL AS REACHING OUT TO THE SHELTERS. FUND RAISING WILL ALSO CONTINUE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH, IN HOPES OF A CURE FOR THE DEBILITATING DISEASE OF PSEUDO TUMOR CEREBRI ALSO
KNOWN AS INTRA CRANIAL HYPERTENSION.
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!
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Location:
13642 BIRCHBARK COURT
ORLAND PARK, IL 60462
CALL FOR PICK-UPS 708-945-1314
