BROOKVILLE, Pa. (EYT) – A new charitable giving group in the Brookville area recently donated over 150 handmade knitted and crocheted hats to the Hahne Cancer Center in DuBois for patients who are undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.
The group, called Third Loop, first gathered together at Fusion Atelier, the new home of CREATE Brookville, on January 9th for their kickoff event to meet with fellow crafters, share ideas and begin making their hats specifically for the Hahne Cancer Center. Sarah Rossey, who started the group and organized the event, encouraged participants to continue their stitching throughout the month. She set up drop off points at Fusion Atelier and Vrobel’s Heating and Cooling for donations.
Rossey says she created Third Loop as a way to put local talent at work for a great cause. “I started Third Loop as a way to connect with and empower fellow crafters,” she said
“I wanted an opportunity to hone my craft as well as to produce a useful product for my neighbors.” Rossey added that though she could see during the event that there was a lot of enthusiasm from the group, she never expected to collect over 150 hats of various sizes, colors and styles. “There is some real talent in our community and I am so proud of what we have created together,” she said.
Jim Miller, the Manager for the Penn Highlands’ Radiation Oncology Department, described what a donation like this can mean to the patients with whom he works. “We see a whole variety of patients, more so elderly,” he explained. “But regardless of their age, from early fall to early summer, one of their chief complaints throughout the day is how cold they get. They do get extra cold. So, something like this is appreciated because it helps them know they’re not alone and helps them to be warmer now too.” He added that many patients who undergo treatment even in the summer months still appreciate a warm hat.
Miller noted that the Hahne Cancer Center has been fortunate to have a lot of community support already, particularly from local high schools and churches. He added that over the holidays, the Hahne Cancer Center received Christmas cards from a Sunday school class which helped to brighten up the season for many patients. “It let them know that someone cares about them,” he said.
Shannon Flanders, the Clerical and Transportation Supervisor, oversees the distribution of the hats, which will be on display to the left of the entrance. Flanders says she sees firsthand what these hats can mean to someone. “There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t have a person expressing their appreciation for the donations that come in,” she said. “So this is wonderful.”
Fund Development Coordinator, Donna Haney, is the contact person for handling donations to the Hahne Cancer Center.
According to Haney, the Hahne Center will also share the hats donated by Third Loop with the Yingling Center in Clearfield as well as with patients undergoing treatment in the Penn Highlands hospital in Brookville. Haney noted that the Hahne Cancer Center is grateful to the many organizations and individuals who make monetary or other donations.
Anyone interested in organizing an event to bring in donations can call (814) 375-3901 to the Fund Development Department for an event sponsor agreement form.
Copyright © 2024 EYT Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of the contents of this service without the express written consent of EYT Media Group, Inc. is expressly prohibited.
