The police and firefighters who acted as liaisons between Tinley Wish and the families facing hard times talk about the families' needs and how the Tinley Wish money collected from the community helped. Read the full article about Saturday's gift-giving here. Watch video of volunteers wrapping the gifts the week before here.
In this Article:
The 15-year-old charity each year raises money to fulfill the Christmas wishes of Tinley Park families facing hard times.
Katelyn Krafcisin, 7, of Tinley Park, still remembers the day last year when a siren-blaring procession of police officers, firefighters and neighbors stormed up to her house to give her and her family Christmas presents. "I was like, 'What's happening?'" she said in a mock shriek, a rare pause between giggles. Katelyn has leukemia. She and her family were so overwhelmed by the gifts and love they received from the community when they were selected as one of last year's Tinley Wish families that they volunteered to be among the gift-givers at this year's event. "To have a whole community behind you, it really gives you a special feeling," Katelyn's father Jim said. Started by a group of Tinley Park police officers 15 years ago, Tinley …
In this Article:
Volunteers for Tinley Wish spent Saturday morning wrapping presents in preparation for next week's gift-giving procession.
Rolls upon rolls of wrapping paper disappeared as toys, tools and gadgets were neatly packaged into holiday gifts for several Tinley Park families. One might have even mistaken Tinley Park Village Hall for Santa's workshop. Saturday morning was the gift-wrapping session for Tinley Wish, a nonprofit organization, which since 1997 has raised more than $400,000 to help Tinley Park families who are in need around the holidays. More than 60 people, from children to senior citizens, volunteered their time, working feverishly at several stations to pack up hundreds of presents in less than two hours. "Our goal is to give someone a little cheer at Christmas," said Dennis Mahoney, president of Tinley Wish and a patrolman for the Tinley Park Police…
Police report yearly program has raised $350,000 for local families since 1997.
Each holiday season Tinley Park, led by its police department, helps out its families in need courtesy of the Tinley Wish program. During Tuesday's meeting, the village board took a moment to recognize the charity, which is entirely donation-funded and has no operational expenses, just the volunteered time of Tinley Park residents. "In the economy we live in today and the world we live in today, this is one of the beacons we see," Mayor Ed Zabrocki said. This year, groups like Ed & Joe's and Jersey Mike's have already been holding fundraisers for the popular charity. Officer Dennis Mahoney said since the program started it has raised more than $350,000 and has helped more than 85 Tinley Park families in need. "Since 1997, the Tinley Wish …
In this Article:
One dollar could get you an eight-foot tower of candy, with the proceeds benefiting Tinley Wish.
Some lucky winner will have a very happy Halloween, bringing home the eight-foot tower of candy Ed & Joe's is raffling off to benefit Tinley Wish. That's 96 inches of M&Ms, Skittles, Red Hots, Mike and Ikes, Butterfingers, Sweetarts, Lemon Heads and Kit Kats. And although you might feel guilty about what those goodies will do to your waistline, there's no need to feel guilty about the expense: Raffle tickets are only $1, with all proceeds going to Tinley Wish, which benefits at-need families in town. "When we put it together, we were just going to raffle it off. I said it would be better if we tied it to a charity and immediately everybody, the owners, said 'Tinley Wish,'" Ed & Joe's general manager ReNae Morse said. Tinley Wish is a …
In this Article:
sharon murphy
1:10 pm on Monday, February 14, 2011
MY husband and I would be more than pleased if we are to volunteer our services to the Tinley Wish Project. Please consider us if help is needed. Sharon and Jim Murphy more ›