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Quilters Corner efforts aid Children’s Hospital

By Paul Paterra staff Writer ppaterra@observer-Reporter.Com 4 min read
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Courtesy of Mary Beth Hartnett

Some of the pillowcases made for Quilters Corner’s Pillowcase Race to be donated to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh

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Courtesy of Mary Beth Hartnett

Donated pillowcases must be 100% cotton, and it is recommended that fun, colorful and novelty prints be used.

For about a decade or more, patients at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh have been comforted by the efforts of Quilters Corner and its patrons.

This year, the Finleyville business’ charitable work has been extended to the youth at the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh.

Quilters Corner has been making pillowcases for Children’s Hospital as part of its Pillowcase Race since at least 2011.

“They use so many every month that it’s astounding,” said Mary Beth Hartnett, owner of Quilters Corner, of the use of pillowcases at the hospital. “They go through more than 400 a month.”

The most recent Pillowcase Race took place from Aug. 6 to 20 and resulted in 2,737 pillowcases that were made and then donated to the hospital. That was on top of about 1,000 donated to the hospital in the spring when the hospital was in great need.

“The race is something we came up with a long time ago to convince people that they wanted to do this,” Hartnett said with a bit of a chuckle. “We usually donate about 3,000 a year.”

There is a competitive component to the Pillowcase Race as well. Prizes such as gift certificates or fabric are awarded to the team that makes the most, the individual that makes the most and for the favorite of the staff at Quilters Corner.

“It is a race,” Hartnett said. “We keep track of numbers. We know who made how many.”

The “race” is a part of the efforts of Ryan’s Case for Smiles, a volunteer organization founded in 2007 to bring comfort and support to young patients and their families in hospitals around the globe.

Its goal is simple: to create and distribute whimsical pillowcases that give children an emotional boost and remind them that they are not defined by their illness.

It was founded by Cindy Kerr for her son, Ryan, who was diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer in 2002. His mother began making pillowcases to brighten up his hospital room and to put a smile on his face. He loved it and she began making pillowcases for other children with cancer at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“She knew how to sew, and she made pillowcases for his hospital room,” Hartnett said. “Then it turned into an entire charitable effort.”

Ryan died in 2008, but the pillowcase project continues.

Doris Caldwell is the coordinator for Western Pennsylvania for Ryan’s Case for Smiles and travels from her Shanksville residence to deliver about 500 pillowcases a month to Children’s Hospital – something she has done for 14 years.

“If I didn’t have Quilters Corner, Mary Beth’s team, I would not be able to do this donation,” Caldwell said. “I don’t know how they make so many pillowcases, and they’re beautiful. The kids love them.”

Quilters Corner is involved in many charitable efforts. One involves patrons and staff making bibs for the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh, thanks to the efforts of former employee Tiffini Marucci.

“When she contacted the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh, they said they needed bibs,” Hartnett said. “We’re trying to fill a need or a want that would be helpful to some place. This seemed to be one of the best places we found. We were kind of hoping people would use their scraps from making pillowcases to make bibs.”

For the most part, the project has just begun but already as of Sept. 7, about 120 bibs have been donated.

Hartnett said she hopes to someday have tote bags made for the folks at the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh.

The Pillowcase Race for this year may be over, but Quilters Corner will accept them throughout the year. People just have to drop what they make at the shop on Route 88. The fabric needs to be 100% cotton. Fun, colorful and novelty prints are recommended.

“It’s just such a worthwhile effort,” Hartnett said. “Most of us who sew are looking for a way to be able to do what we love to do and what makes us peaceful and happy, and if it impacts someone else, we’re even more thrilled with what we know how to do.”

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