Get to Know Us

Our History

A young boy with brown hair and light skin is sitting at a wooden desk, looking up at the camera. He is wearing a light-colored shirt and appears to be in a room with colorful walls and various papers and folders on the desk.

On February 15, 1993, seven-year-old Martin Kisel faced a daunting challenge—a diagnosis of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). For the next three years, he would climb a grueling mountain of treatments, battling the harsh realities of chemotherapy and painful procedures. It was a treacherous climb, but in those moments of difficulty, his mother, Colleen Kisel, noticed something small yet powerful: a toy after each procedure could bring Martin a fleeting moment of joy amid his struggle.

Seeing the happiness these toys sparked in her son, she saw an opportunity to ease the climb for other children facing similar battles. Inspired by the comfort these toys brought to her son, Colleen decided to share this gift with others. She embarked on her own climb—an uphill battle of letter-writing and fundraising. Her determination led to a breakthrough in August 1996, when the Aramark Corporation made a generous contribution. This marked the first summit for what would become the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation.

Over the years, the Treasure Chest Foundation has continued to ascend, growing from a humble idea into a lifeline for thousands of young cancer patients. With each step forward, the Foundation’s reach expanded, fueled by the support of generous donors and corporate partners. From its early days to now, the Foundation has brought comfort and joy to children and teens undergoing cancer treatments across the United States, providing them with treasures of hope during their toughest moments.

Our Present and Beyond

But the climb is far from over. In fact, it is still a steep and ongoing ascent. For the past seven years, Martin has continued to climb, not just the mountains of his own life but physical peaks to raise funds for the Foundation that has supported him and so many others. Every year, Martin and a group of friends venture into the Colorado Rockies to conquer a 14er, a mountain that reaches at least 14,000 feet. Each climb is a reminder of the battles these children face and each summit brings them closer to the goal of providing even more toys and moments of joy to those in need. Through this annual event, “Climb for the Kids,” Martin has raised an impressive $26,804 to support the Foundation’s mission.

As the Treasure Chest Foundation continues to grow, we look back with gratitude at how far we’ve come. The path we’ve climbed has been paved with generosity, compassion and hope. But there is still much more to be done. The mountain we seek to scale is tall and the summit is just out of reach, but with each donation, each event and each step forward, we’re getting closer to the peak.

With your continued support, we can bring even more comfort to children and families facing the hardest climb of all, the fight against cancer. Together, we can ensure that no child faces this challenge without a moment of light, a treasure to hold on to as they make their way toward the top.

A man and a woman standing outdoors in front of rock formations, smiling for the camera.

Founder Colleen Kisel
and her son Martin

Our History

On February 15, 1993, seven-year-old
Martin Kisel faced a daunting challenge—a diagnosis of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). For the next three years, he would
climb a grueling mountain of treatments,
battling the harsh realities of chemotherapy and painful procedures. It was a treacherous
climb, but in those moments of difficulty,
his mother, Colleen Kisel, noticed something small yet powerful: a toy after each
procedure could bring Martin a fleeting moment of joy amid his struggle.

Seeing the happiness these toys sparked in
her son, she saw an opportunity to ease the climb for other children facing similar
battles. Inspired by the comfort these toys brought to her son, Colleen decided to share this gift with others. She embarked on her
own climb—an uphill battle of letter-writing
and fundraising. Her determination led to
a breakthrough in August 1996, when the Aramark Corporation made a generous contribution. This marked the first summit
for what would become the Pediatric
Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation.

Over the years, the Treasure Chest
Foundation has continued to ascend,
growing from a humble idea into a lifeline
for thousands of young cancer patients.
With each step forward, the Foundation’s
reach expanded, fueled by the support of generous donors and corporate partners.
From its early days to now, the Foundation
has brought comfort and joy to children
and teens undergoing cancer treatments
across the United States, providing
them with treasures of hope during
their toughest moments.

A young boy sitting at a wooden desk, wearing a hospital gown and holding a white glove, surrounded by books and medical equipment, appearing to be in a hospital or clinic setting.

Our Present and Beyond

But the climb is far from over. In fact, it
is still a steep and ongoing ascent. For the
past seven years, Martin has continued to
climb, not just the mountains of his own life
but physical peaks to raise funds for the Foundation that has supported him and so many others. Every year, Martin and a group
of friends venture into the Colorado Rockies
to conquer a 14er, a mountain that reaches
at least 14,000 feet. Each climb is a reminder
of the battles these children face and each summit brings them closer to the goal of providing even more toys and moments
of joy to those in need. Through this
annual event, “Climb for the Kids,” Martin
has raised an impressive $26,804 to
support the Foundation’s mission.

As the Treasure Chest Foundation continues
to grow, we look back with gratitude at how
far we’ve come. The path we’ve climbed has been paved with generosity, compassion
and hope. But there is still much more to be done. The mountain we seek to scale is tall
and the summit is just out of reach, but with each donation, each event and each step forward, we’re getting closer to the peak.

With your continued support, we can bring
even more comfort to children and families facing the hardest climb of all, the fight
against cancer. Together, we can ensure
that no child faces this challenge without
a moment of light, a treasure to hold on
to as they make their way toward the top.

A young man and an older woman standing together indoors, smiling, with a stone wall background.

Our Founder Colleen Kisel
and her son Martin

Meet the Team

Staff

  • Portrait of a young woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, wearing a black blazer with a dragonfly pin and a silver shirt underneath.

    Dawn Peloso

    Executive Director

  • A woman with red glasses and orange hair smiling, wearing a black outfit with a decorative brooch, standing in front of a white wall with cutout bear shapes.

    Candace Muys

    Administrative Assistant

  • Kimberly Perchez

    Warehouse Manager

  • Smiling older man with short gray hair wearing a plaid shirt layered with a dark blue jacket, seated in a restaurant with a brick wall and wood window blinds in the background.

    George Popelka

    Bookkeeper

Board of Directors

  • Joseph Bullington

    President

    Close-up portrait of a smiling middle-aged man with blonde hair, wearing a blue suit, white shirt, and yellow tie, against a plain gray background.

  • Paul Maiellaro

    Vice President

    A man with glasses and a bow tie wearing a suit, smiling at the camera indoors.

  • Glen Ponczak

    Treasurer

    Close-up of a smiling man with light-colored hair, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and dark tie, standing in front of a window.

  • Tammy Girten

    Secretary

    Close-up of a smiling woman with blonde hair and blue eyes.

  • Meghan Abraham

    Board Member

    A smiling woman with straight brown hair in an indoor setting with purple ambient lighting.

  • Giuliano Cipolla

    Board Member

    A man with dark, wavy hair wearing a black tuxedo, white shirt, and black bow tie, smiling at the camera.

  • Maureen Cipolla

    Board Member

    Headshot of a smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a black blazer over a blue silk blouse, against a neutral gray background.

  • Karen Connelly

    Board Member

  • Jack Hallberg

    Board Member

    Smiling man with dark hair and a goatee, wearing a black jacket and white shirt, sitting indoors.

  • Connie Lemar

    Board Member

    A smiling woman with short, light-colored hair, wearing glasses and a black top with embellishments, standing in front of a purple background.

Founder

  • Close-up portrait of a smiling middle-aged man with blonde hair, wearing a blue suit, white shirt, and yellow tie, against a plain gray background.

    Colleen Kisel

More Info

  • The mission of the Treasure Chest Foundation is to provide comfort and distraction from painful procedures to children and teens who have been diagnosed with cancer by providing toys, gifts and gift cards from a Treasure Chest.

  • Every child with cancer will know the comfort and hope of the Treasure Chest Foundation

  • Child-Focused - With each decision made, our focus is on how to best serve the children and teens who benefit from our treasure chests.

    Community - All children and teens facing cancer are welcomed to our treasure chests. We affirm the dignity and worth of each and every participant, volunteer, and staff member.

    Gratitude - Every donation, and every toy is genuinely appreciated. We are grateful to all our volunteers and donors. Without you, fulfilling our mission would not be possible.

    Growth - The Treasure Chest Foundation strives to grow to a place to serve every child with cancer in the US.

    Hope - Every child and teen deserves hope and joy in their life and we will continue to do all we can to provide that.