by Bea Peterson
Last year the Hoosac Villagers, a crafts group that meets monthly from September to May, decided to make blankets for Project Linus.
Project Linus has hundreds of chapters and thousands of volunteers across the United States. They all work together to help provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need, through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers.”
In June the Villagers presented Capital District Project Linus coordinator Joanne Marcario with 14 quilts and
blankets. The group was very proud of its accomplishment.
900 Blankets
At that gathering Joanne told the group she had spoken with the director of the Double H Hole in the Woods Ranch on Lake Luzerne. The Ranch is a seasonal camp for kids and teens, ages 6 to 16, with critical illnesses. He requested 100 blankets. His thought was that the blankets could be used throughout the summer as each week they have at least 100 kids. Joanne explained that the purpose of Project Linus was to provide a blanket for every child to keep for him or herself. She promised him all 900 of their campers would have fleece tied blankets. Word traveled fast by all means, including the internet. When Camp opened Joanne had 300 blankets for them. Two hundred more were dropped off two weeks later.
This past Saturday, July 25, Joanne held her second “Blanket Day” in Troy where people dropped off blankets, sewed Project Linus labels into them and packed the ones that were appropriate for the camp. Mary Kowalski and this reporter, of the Hoosac Villagers, brought 15 blankets to the day. Mary had made three beautiful quilts and this reporter brought a dozen fleece tied blankets. Five of them were made by St. Mary’s Academy
students Summer Sutton, Abbey Brown and Alexis Minneto with help from Valerie Sutton. Seven of the blankets were made by residents of the Wood Park apartments, including Eleanor Calhoun, Litina Lugato, Lorraine Surdam and Pat Smith.
This past week Joanne brought the blankets, including 150 from an Elks Club, to the Camp. The final total was 977. In a month and a half generous people lovingly created 977 blankets for kids to wrap themselves in when they come out of the pool or lake or snuggle in when they listen to stories around the campfire or in the lodge or put on their beds at night. Hopefully each one will realize that every blanket was created with love.
Project Linus Continues
Now that Joanne has this enormous project completed, she is already thinking of the upcoming holidays and the requests she will receive for quilts, afghans and blankets for youngsters in hospitals, in St. Catherine’s Center for Children in Albany and many other facilities.
For quilting, knitting and crocheting patterns go to Project Linus on the internet. The National site has many designs. To offer to make something for Project Linus, contact Joanne at wmarcario@msn.com or call 233-7247.