Seattle Children's Cancer Advocacy Network (CAN)

There is a new blog on the block! The Seattle Children's Cancer Advocacy Network (CAN) is a group that is meeting monthly to prepare for September's Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and it now has a blog: http://www.seattlechildrenscan.blogspot.com/. Please visit (and follow) to learn what is going on with the guilds that support cancer research. Everyone is welcome!

Katie's Comforters Guild is listed as one of the guilds that supports cancer research. The guild's connection to cancer research is 1) because Katie died of cancer, 2) our family and friends created the Katie Gerstenberger Endowment for Cancer Research in 2007 and 3) we began our work by sewing quilts for children in the cancer ward at Seattle Children's Hospital - and we've now expanded to blanket the entire hospital. As you know, Katie's endowment is for solid tumor research, to help find a cure for the kind of tumor she had (adrenocortical carcinoma). Since adrenocortical carcinoma is very rare, Katie's endowment supports ALL solid tumor research with the income that is generated by the principal in the endowment. At last count, the principal was just over $100,000.
We are thankful for the creation of the Seattle Children's Cancer Advocacy Network (CAN), and excited to see what lies ahead!

Guild Notes Available Now

Did you know that you can receive a copy of the Guild Association's newsletter, Guild Notes, via email? There is a new issue available now. Just contact the Guild Association by following this link.

West Coast Oddball Knitters

Yesterday, I had a speaking engagement at Seattle Children's Hospital (I'll post about that on my blog soon), so I arranged to meet with Janet D. of West Coast Oddball Knitters at the hospital for a blanket delivery. Janet's group donated 9 handmade blankets, and picked up the bags of yarn that Lucile and Noble donated recently (see the posting below). West Coast Oddball Knitters is going to use that yarn to make more blankets for Children's Hospital.

Please visit West Coast Oddball Knitters' blog - you'll be glad that you did (and don't you just love their name)! It's original and inspiring. They knit blankets as a group, but one section at a time. In other words, one person knits a section, and then sends the blanket on to the next person. That person knits another section onto the same blanket, and sends it on - and so, the blankets grow. Each one is original, with varied colors and stitches. They are a pleasure to look at. When you visit their blog, take time to scroll down and look at the blankets and how different each one is. Their method keeps everyone from feeling overwhelmed, and it clearly keeps the inspiration fresh!

HUGE thanks to Janet and Steven for coming out on a Sunday to make the delivery. I was also able to deliver quilts made by Joan and Lucile (photos posted below), for a total of 31 blankets donated yesterday to Seattle Children's Hospital by Katie's Comforters Guild.