“I think the event was relaxing, but worth it. It made me feel good,” said Brittany Johnson, a freshman majoring in biological sciences.
The blankets are made by aligning two pieces of fleece and cutting small strips around all edges. These strips are then tied together to keep the two pieces of fleece in place.
After the fleece blankets are made, they are donated to children in need, generally children that are seriously ill and in the hospital.
“This is a fantastic organization that changes children’s lives. It’s extremely rewarding to know that all of our hard work is making 1,000 children smile and feel safe,” said Sara Bigelow, a junior from St. Clairsville and the president of Project Linus.
The students in the organization hold several fundraisers throughout the year to raise money to purchase materials needed to make the blankets. Each quarter, students hold a “Project Pancake” event where students can eat as many pancakes as possible for $3. This year they also participated in fundraising with Tropical Smoothie Café, Max&Erma’s, a spaghetti dinner, and a dime wars competition held in the Honors dorms on campus.
“We receive door prize donations from many local businesses, and some individuals and organizations choose to donate fleece or electric scissors; however, our biggest contribution is through monetary donations,” Bigelow said.
After the blankets are made, they are given to the Dayton Project Linus Chapter and they distribute the blankets to children in the Dayton area.
“It’s a wonderful experience, and we are looking forward to seeing everyone experience this great event. You really have to see it to believe it; 1,000 blankets is hard to imagine,” Bigelow added.
The Wright State Project Linus chapter was started in 2005 and is one of many chapters all over the United States.
Since Project Linus was first started nationally in 1995, the organization has given away more than 3 million blankets to children in need.
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