Family honors son's memory by helping others
Like a lot of 4-year-old boys, Patrick Nolan wanted to be a firefighter. Intelligent and caring, Patrick would help his preschool classmates. And he loved to play with Rescue Hero toys.
It's no wonder, then, that his family formed the Rescue Heroes team to honor his memory.
Working with the American Cancer Society, the Rescue Heroes raise money for pediatric cancer research. It's their way of working to eradicate the disease that killed Patrick, who had suffered with liver disease before a tumor was found on his liver. He died less than three weeks later.
In his honor, the Rescue Heroes each year join the North Naperville Relay for Life. The event, in which teams pledge to have one member walking or running from one evening through the next morning, raises money to support research backed by the cancer society.
Patrick's team adds to the donations it collects by sponsoring an annual garage sale, slated for Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16. All the proceeds will be given to the ACS at the walk, which begins June 13 at Naper Settlement.
Patrick's father, Shawn Nolan, talks about his son, the garage sale and Relay for Life.
Q. What is your mission?
A. Our mission is to support the American Cancer Society - the nationwide, community-based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy and service.
Q. How do you work toward accomplishing that goal?
A. The Rescue Heroes raise money through several fundraising activities that we organize such as the garage sale and fundraisers with restaurants.
Q. Who do you serve?
A. The money the Rescue Heroes raise is used to fund pediatric cancer research.
Q. When and why did the organization start? How has it grown?
A. Our family and friends formed the Rescue Heroes in 2004 after the cancer related death of my 4-year-old son. Our team has raised more tan $100,000.00 in the five years we've been involved with the Relay for Life, and we've been instrumental in an additional $150,000 in pediatric cancer research grants.
Q. What challenges do you currently face?
A. Like everyone else, the current economy is making it difficult to raise money to support the mission. We also need assistance recruiting teams to come and see what the Relay for Life is about.
Q. What do you wish the community at large knew about Rescue Heroes and the American Cancer Society?
A. Our garage sale has raised nearly $15,000 dollars in five years!
The American Cancer Society has supported 42 investigators who went on to win the Nobel Prize, a statistic that shows the strength of the American Cancer Society's Research Program and peer-review process. The scientists have broken ground with discoveries and developments of treatments.
Q. How can readers get involved?
A. Readers could form a Relay for Life team in their community, drive a cancer patient to treatment, or sign up for Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) to better understand the lifestyle, behavioral, environmental and genetic factors that cause or prevent cancer and to ultimately eliminate cancer as a major health problem for this and future generations. Go to cancer.org to find local opportunities.
Our Rescue Heroes Garage Sale sells donated items with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.
Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society's signature activity. It invites participants to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost to the disease and fight back against a disease we want to end.
Q. How do the events further your group's mission?
A. The money the Relay for Life raises supports the various programs of the American Cancer Society, honors those battling cancer and remembers those lost to this terrible disease.
Vital stats
Amount donated to ACS: TK
Number of volunteers: Rescue Heroes is a team of 15
Wish list: Items donated to fundraiser garage sale
To donate: Drop items at 25W525 Johnson Drive, Naperville
Info
Phone: (630) 420-8126
E-mail: mpadad@comcast.net
Web site: main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09IL?team_id=395144&pg=team&fr_id=15282
<p class="factboxheadblack">Rescue Heroes Garage Sale </p> <p class="News"><b>When:</b> 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16</p> <p class="News"><b>Where:</b> 25W525 Johnson Drive, Naperville </p> <p class="breakhead">North Naperville Relay for Life </p> <p class="News"><b>When:</b> 3 p.m. June 13 to 5 a.m. June 14</p> <p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville</p>