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| By Kaitlyn Schroyer Staff Intern CHICOPEE For children at the Shriners Hospital in Springfield, a homemade blanket can mean a lot. The Chicopee chapter of Project Linus provides the comfort of warmth and security to seriously ill and traumatized children. "Project Linus is a national organization with chapters in all 50 states. They are all volunteer and nonprofit who make blankets for seriously ill and traumatized children," Cheryl Przezdzieck, founder of the Chicopee chapter, said. Recently, the Chicopee chapter conducted a fundraising tag sale at the Cottage Hill Banquet House in Springfield. The money raised is going to help create more blankets for children at Shriners Hospital. "Since our start in April of this year, we have donated close to 100 blankets to Shriners. The blankets have gone to kids from 0 years old to 18. We adjust the sizes of the blankets to fit the need," Przezdzieck commented. Project Linus was named after the character Linus in the Peanut comics. Since Linus always has his security blanket with him, the project thought it was an appropriate name. Linus' blanket and the blankets given to the children both represent warmth, security, and comfort. Przezdzieck first came in contact with Project Linus when she met a woman who was a volunteer for a chapter in another state. "I visited the headquarters site and I just fell in love," Przezdzieck said. The Chicopee chapter hopes to continue fundraising and are planning to set up a booth at a local fair in late November or early December. There, they will be doing another raffle and will be selling craft items. For more information about Project Linus and the Chicopee chapter, please go to www.projectlinuschicopee.org. |