Less than four short years ago, our lives were changed forever when our oldest child, Cal Sutter, a 12-year old South Elgin Little League All-Star, was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. The battle with pediatric cancer is a horrible nightmare no child or family should ever have to experience. Yet, like most children, Cal never gave up hope and through it all, he was always more concerned about the well-being of the other children fighting cancer than he was about himself.
Even though Cal ultimately lost his battle with leukemia in August of 2006, the courage he displayed throughout inspired us to start Cal’s All-Star Angel Foundation, Inc. – a tax exempt, 501(c)(3) pediatric cancer foundation. Our main mission and purpose – granting wishes and providing financial assistance to kids fighting cancer and their families – continues Cal’s legacy of always caring about others above anything else.
In less than two years, generous donors and supporters have enabled us to bring unbelievable amounts of hope and support to more than 80 pediatric cancer patients and their families. Recent wishes and assistance include:
• Shopping sprees at Cabela’s, Best Buy and online at Dell.
• 5 tickets to a Cubs game with pre-game time on the field and a Kerry Wood signed ball.
• A family outing to the Barnum & Bailey Circus and Sea World.
• A birthday party at Build-A-Bear followed by dinner at the Rain Forest Café.
• Wii and PS3 systems complete with games and all the extras.
• Over $12,500 in gifts to United Airlines for their Fantasy Flight to the North Pole for children from local hospitals with terminal and serious illnesses.
• Countless mortgage, rent, car and utility bill payments.
• Gift cards to numerous families for groceries, prescriptions and clothing.
• For the hospitals, we have supplied over $10,000 in games, electronics and crafts.
• Put aside $100,000 to cover the cost of outfitting the new activity room on the Oncology Floor at the new Children's Memorial Hospital slated to open in 2012 with furniture, board games, arcade-style games, pinball, hockey, foosball, electronics, TV’s, video, board games, arts and crafts. This will be no ordinary activity room – it will be “THE” activity room to beat all activity rooms. One designed with the help and assistance of pediatric cancer fighters from all age groups that will make those that are receiving inpatient treatment want to come out of their rooms and interact with their peers playing games, competing in tournaments, doing crafts or just hanging out in a fun, friendly environment that will be constantly updated so that it remains “cool to hang in” for years.
Please feel free to contact us anytime at (847) 960-5317 or info@calsangels.org