Students make a difference in children’s lives
“Knotty blanketeers,” a group of students from USU’s department of human resources, will host “Tie You a Knot” to make fleece blankets to be donated to children in hospitals, shelters and social service agencies of Northern Utah. The event will be Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Business building room 215. The event is free to everyone who wants to take part in the cause.
Working in cooperation with Project Linus, a non-profit organization that collects only homemade blankets and donates them to children in need all over the U.S., Tony Lopez, leader of the student team, said the student group has set a goal to involve at least 70 people and 350 man-hours put into the project to make about 35 fleece baby blankets.
Due to the donations from local businesses, the group purchased the material for blankets a week before. It allowed the group time to trim the fleece as needed and prepare it for the event.
Lopez said the blanketeers are looking forward to “Tie You a Knot” night, when volunteers from USU, as well as the community, will come together and finish tying the blankets for the benefit of local children in need.
“We have started this project, because we want to make a difference in children’s lives and community,” Lopez said. “By donating these fleece blankets, our group is trying to bring a little warmth and security to children who need some extra love.”
To provide reward and entertainment for those willing to help, the group will hold a movie night and raffle during the “Tie You a Knot” event. Volunteers will enjoy a new Disney movie while they are working on the blankets. Light refreshments will also be served as an added bonus to those who participate.
After the movie, more than 20 prizes will be given away to the volunteers during the raffle. Lopez said the grand prize of the contest is a free night stay in the Anniversary Inn. The other prizes will include a gift certificate for dinner at Olive Garden and Firehouse, a ticket to a movie, a 30-minute massage at the Sport Academy and many others.
Tickets for the gift raffle are still on sale in the TSC and Business building. The group has already raised about $200 from selling raffle tickets. This money will be used to cover any remaining costs to buy fleece and provide refreshments during the movie night. Any extra money obtained after purchasing the fleece will be donated to Project Linus as a monetary donation.
The blanketeers have also launched a Facebook group of Project Linus, where all interested can get more information about the upcoming movie night, cost of riffle tickets, as well as learn more about the activity of Project Linus, on the basis of which “Tie You a Knot” is held.
–svetlana.ostraya@aggiemail.usu.edu