Quilt, it does a body good
By Chris Simon

Simcoe County Quilters' Guild president Brenda Wauchope displays the quilts that will be used in The Quilt fundraiser.

Two local quilting guilds have come together to fight cancer.

The Simcoe County and Kempenfelt quilters' guilds recently created three of their handmade keepsakes for The Quilt: A Breast Cancer Support Project. Those quilts will be shipped for auction in Stratford, with money raised being donated to several cancer support organizations, including the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, Wellspring and the Canadian Cancer Society.

"Not only are the quilts beautiful and donated for this cause, but each one has a story," said Simcoe County guild president Brenda Wauchope. "The people who bid are bidding for a nice quilt, but they're more generous because it's going for this cause. The people who are making these quilts and donating them are putting their talents to a good cause."

Over the last eight years, the project has earned over $1.3 million in funding. That money is used to provide breast cancer survivors and their friends and family with free physical and emotional therapy in a non-threateneing environment. Support services include alternative therapy like yoga, quilting, music, healing touch and one on one counselling.

Wauchope says the guilds were delighted to help.

"I'm not rich, I can't throw the money into the pot, but I can (quilt)," she said. "That's (our) little way of contributing. The people in the guilds who get involved with this feel its something small they can do, but in the big picture, it helps out.

"Who knows, we could all benefit from it."

Last year, local guild quilts raised about $1,000 for the project.

"This is something we can do as a group," said Wauchope. "It's a big, cooperative effort. Each guild feels like they are doing something good."

The project has been successful across the country, with quilt donations from a variety of people, including breast cancer survivors, and their friends and family. Last year, over 400 quilts were donated across the country.

The project has become so large, organizers have set up a permanent gallery in Stratford, said Wauchope.

"People who make quilts just wanted to help out," said Wauchope.

"They have so many quilts, they couldn't hang them all. They started sending them off to other places to display. A lot of quilts are donated every year, some by individuals, others by guilds."

For more information on the project, visit www.thequilt. com.