Quilting together a lasting legacy of gratitude for McDonald House
Robin McKeen, left, Karen Ross and Debbie Mieske lay out squares cut from scarves as they work on quilts for the Central Alberta Ronald McDonald House. One of the quilts will be used as a raffle to raise money for the house while the other will be donated to the house for guests to use in the TV room.
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Sylvan Lake resident Debbie Mieske wants to help an organization that made such a difference in her life.
More than five years ago, when her son needed to go in for open heart surgery, her family stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in Edmonton.
As Mieske stayed by her son Michael’s side, her husband and their two daughters stayed at the house for six days. The staff there was incredible with the family, inviting them to a community supper and offering support. The family support made all the difference to Michael, who managed to move out of the intensive care unit quicker than anticipated.
Before the family checked out of Ronald McDonald House in Edmonton, they were given a quilt that someone had made for Michael.
Now at age 15, Michael is fine and Debbie wanted to find a way to give back. Curves owner Karen Ross and other friends at Curves in Sylvan Lake jumped on board. They collected Curves scarves and a variety of other scarves.
On Saturday, they were cutting them into blocks and arranging them. The plan is to complete a Curves quilt in shades of purple and mauve that will be raffled off at Curves locations around Central Alberta starting in the fall, with tickets available at Unit 4, at 1 Sylvan Drive or by phoning 887-8737.
With the Sylvan Lake Curves celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Ross said they wanted to do something special and help the community.
Another quilt the women make will eventually be given to Ronald McDonald House in Red Deer, with their signatures on the back.
“It’s rewarding for me. I love quilting so it makes be feel good,” Mieske said. She also loves that money raised will go to a cause so close to her heart.
Community members have donated 40 per cent of the $10.5 million raised so far to build the three-storey Ronald McDonald House near the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre. Once finished in June 2011, the 11-suite house that will offer low-cost accommodations for Central Alberta families with critically ill babies, sick children and high-risk pregnancies being treated at the hospital in Red Deer.
sobrien@reddeeradvocate.com
