FS_092117

frankfortstation.com life & arts
the frankfort station | September 21, 2017 | 27
Foundation toy drive has record year
Jon DePaolis
Freelance Reporter
In its ninth year, the Sean
Duggan Foundation’s Never
Back Down Toy Drive
continues to grow.
So much so, in fact, that
this past August’s toy drive
raised the most donations
in the drive’s history —
with more than 1,700 toys
collected to be donated to
children undergoing cancer
treatment.
“We had our biggest year
yet, which was totally unexpected,”
said John Duggan,
whose son, Sean, died in
2009 after battling rhabdoid
cancer. “We had 1,700 toys
donated. I think our previous
highest number was
around 1,200 for a single
year. To have the highest
year ever be nine years in is
pretty amazing.”
Duggan said he believes
this year’s success
can be attributed to the
word being out on the toy
drive.
“Every year now, people
know the toy drive is coming
around [this time of
year],” he said. “So, between
people that donate to
it every year and the new
people hearing about it and
getting involved, it seems to
be growing.”
He said the experience is
humbling.
“Each one toy is going to
make a child’s day better,
with everything they are going
through,” Duggan said.
“To know that you can multiply
that experience 1,700
times over from one event
that was held in the community
is amazing.”
His wife, Jill, and his
brother, Brian, delivered
the toys to Ann & Robert H.
Lurie Children’s Hospital of
Chicago on Aug. 7 — the
date on which Sean would
have turned 19 years old.
“The truck was filled,
front to back and top to bottom,”
Duggan said. “There
was just enough space to fit
all the toys in there.”
When they arrived, Duggan
said the hospital staff
was amazed.
“Some of the people
[waiting] at the hospital
were new, and they weren’t
as familiar with the event
until they met my wife
and brother,” Duggan said.
“When they pulled up with
the truck and told them
they had 1,700 toys — and
opened the van doors and
there was literally bags and
bags of toys busting out of
the van — they couldn’t believe
it.
“Everybody was just really
thrilled to be able to
provide enough toys to get
the hospital through until
the Christmas season, when
other organizations typically
do things around the
holidays.”
Duggan was grateful for
the support of several organizations
and people for
helping yet again with the
toy drive.
“Triple R Child Care
— Tina and Kevin Goodwin
— is the largest supporter
and gatherer and
collector of toys,” Duggan
said. “Without them, this
would be on a much smaller
scale.”
Duggan also pointed to
Peace Community Church
and preschool director Judy
Placzkowski.
“She promotes it to all
the children and families
involved in their summer
programs, and all of those
families have continued to
be big supporters,” Duggan
said.
He also thanked Mervet
Nolte of Sizzles, as well as
Darrin Bauer of Arnie Bauer
Buick GMC — who provided
a service truck to help
load and deliver the toys to
the hospital.
Donations to the ninth annual Sean Duggan Foundation’s Never Back Down Toy Drive were delivered to the receiving
dock at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital. Photos submitted
But he also took time
to thank the members
of the community who
donated.
“We appreciate every
single item that was donated,
and it will make
a really big difference in
someone’s life,” Duggan
said. “We couldn’t do this
without the help, love and
support of every person
that chose to go out and
participate.
“The patients of the hospital
will never get to meet
them or get to say, ‘Thank
you,’ in person, but the people
who go out and donate
do this out of the goodness
of their hearts.”
And that means a great
deal to the Duggans.
“It just gives us a really
great sense of inspiration
that Sean’s spirit is living
on through all this generosity
and care and concern
from the community,” Duggan
said.
For more information
about the toy drive or the
foundation, visit www.sean
dugganfoundation.org.
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Lora Healy
Brian Duggan
(left), Jill
Duggan (middle)
and Willow
Messier, an art
therapist at Ann
& Robert H.
Lurie Children’s
Hospital,
pose near the
donations the toy
drive received.
708.326.9170 ext. 31
l.healy@22ndcenturymedia.com