Eastview Students Rally for Bear Necessities Foundation

Barrett “Bear” Krupa was an 8-year-old boy who died on Jan. 9, 1993 of pediatric cancer.

Bear wasn’t just any boy, he was an Eastview Elementary School student, Principal James Zursin said at Wednesday’s kickoff of the 3rd Annual Kids Run for the Bear.

“This race is to make sure that someday, no other kid has to go through what Bear and his family had to go through,” he said. The race benefits Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

Students will begin collecting donations and will participate in the run on April 27 at the school, 540 Longwood, Algonquin.

Zursin will also be selling raffle tickets for Eastview students to get a chance to win a ride home from the Algonquin Fire Department.

Bear’s mother, Kathleen Casey, explained to students about the foundation named after her son. She started it because his wish was to help other young cancer patients and their families.

The Bear Hugs Program supports young cancer patients (ages 0-19), as well as their immediate family, who face the many challenges that accompany the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric cancer, according to a Consolidated School District 300 press release. The Foundation’s outreach serves children, both in state and out-of-state, who are being treated at one of the nine major Chicago area hospitals with pediatric oncology departments.

A Bear Hug is a customized experience that brightens the life of a child going through cancer. The Bear Hugs Program also provides immediate family support for financial burden and essential needs, according to the release.