When quilter Daphne Greig saw the extent of destruction brought on by flooding in communities in Calgary and High River in late June, she was horrified.
She immediately sent some quilts she had previously made to aid agencies in Alberta.
But she wanted to do more.
“I wanted to give them all a hug, but I couldn’t be there,” said Greig, who has been quilting for more than 30 years. “So I decided to do the next best thing — to give them a quilting hug.”
She has organized 10 people from her weekly quilting group to create quilts to send to flood victims.
The group, which has a number of retired persons, has pooled its resources with a goal to putting together 10 quilts by the beginning of September.
Their efforts seem to have struck a chord. After hearing about the efforts in Victoria, quilting groups across Canada, and even in the U.S., have started their own quilts, Greig said.
She credits the power of social media for helping to spread the word.
Businesses have also pitched in, with Purolator recently announcing it will donate 150 trips to get the finished quilts to their intended recipients.
Greig says this isn’t the first time quilters have stepped up to help.
The group also made and distributed quilts to victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011.
While she won’t be there to hand out the quilts, Greig, who teaches quilt design across the country and in the U.S., knows they will be well received.
“I have seen the look, the look of joy on a person’s face when they have just been given a quilt. It makes all this work worthwhile.”
Air cadets clean Fort Rodd Hill
About 130 teenage air cadets from the Albert Head Cadet Summer Training Centre in Metchosin took to Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site on Friday to clear away invasive plants and replace the sandbags at the fort entrance.
The cadets also helped restore bunker displays and cleared weeds from the nearby Garry Oak ecosystem.
The cleanup is the community service part of their course work and was a precursor to Saturday’s Canada Parks Day.
Ride-a-Thon raises $10,000
The Cowichan Therapeutic Riding Association raised more than $10,000 during its 22nd annual Ride-a-Thon, June 10 to 15.
About 90 riders navigated a course, designed for varying skill levels, with the assistance of more than 100 volunteers.
The event was supported by the businesses and individuals from the Cowichan Valley community.
Organizers said they raised $2,000 more than at last year’s event.
The association provides therapeutic riding programs and services for people with disabilities.
Hikers climb for homeless
For the fourth year, hikers took to Mount Finlayson to raise money for local charities as part of the Mount Finlayson Madness fundraiser.
Thirty-six hikers from took part in the all-day event on July 12, raising money for the Mustard Seed Food Bank and Our Place Society, which helps the poor and homeless in Victoria.
Ailsa MacDonald, of Edmonton, completed 15 hikes in 12 hours, beating the previous record of 14 in the same time.
Donations are still being counted and contributions are still being accepted.
To donate, send an email to [email protected].
— With files from Nick Wells
