Picture Credits: Rachel Montgomery
by Kate Schlatter
Over the past two years, during Christmas break, the Grace College women’s basketball team raises and collects money for Project Linus during games to buy blanket kits. Then the team spends a couple of days together making the blankets and praying over the children who will receive them.
Project Linus is a not-for-profit organization that collects money donations, newly handmade blankets and blanket-making materials. They distribute blankets to children who are in hospitals long-term or who are in homeless shelters. Project Linus takes donations from adults and kids to spread love and warmth to surrounding communities.
This year, the women’s team raised over $1,200 and made 70 blankets. This was an improvement from what the team could do the year prior due to the overwhelming generosity of Grace students and the Winona Lake community.
The idea to donate to Project Linus was brought to head coach Dan Davis’ attention by player Kenzie McMahon. McMahon’s team in high school participated in this project and it was something she wanted to carry over into college.
“These blankets allow us to do our part and help provide a sense of comfort and safety for some kids who are not as blessed as we are,” she said.
The team was not allowed to donate the blankets directly to the hospitals and shelters, but they could deliver them at the organization and meet some of the faces behind the scenes.
McMahon will be graduating this year, so she passed the torch to a group of girls returning next year to keep this donation and project thriving.
For more information about Project Linus or its mission, visit www.projectlinus.org.
The Sounding Board 