Although Inspire! Quilting and Sewing opened just last September, its owners spared no time getting involved with the community.
Every first Saturday of the month since it opened, the downtown store has provided sewing room for members of ConKerr Cancer. The members sew pillowcases for children with cancer.
Last weekend, the group celebrated the delivery of more than 50,000 pillowcases during a party May 4, at Inspire! The pillowcases will benefit children receiving treatment in seven area hospitals.
“We are absolutely proud to be able to help them and provide a place for them and low-cost fabric,” co-owner Lisa La Pointe said.
About 12 members from the Brandon and Plant City area come to Inspire! to help the cause. They are all part of the greater Tampa Bay chapter of the national ConKerr Cancer.
The Tampa Bay chapter delivers about 1,300 pillowcases each month. Last summer, they delivered 1,100 pillowcases to Paul Newman’s Boggy Creek Camp. The camp hosts sessions for severely and chronically ill children, including two sessions for children with cancer.
The hospitals that receive the colorful pillowcases of hope include All Children’s Hospital, Tampa General Hospital, Shriner’s Hospital for Children, two Ronald McDonald Houses, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, Lakeland Regional Medical Center and Sarasota Memorial Hospital.
The majority of the funding to make the 15,600 pillowcases each year comes from the volunteers themselves. Each volunteer provides their own fabric and machine. The retail price for the materials alone is about $156,000.
The members make colorful pillowcases — complete with French seams — to brighten a child’s day. Members aren’t restricted to a theme or color palette.
“It’s totally their own thing,” co-owner Lynn Haberl said.
After the pillowcases are sewn, they are laundered, ironed and packaged to go to the hospital. For those who can’t sew, Haberl and La Pointe said the organization needs volunteers to help with packaging.
Cindy Kerr founded the national ConKerr Cancer organization in 2002, after her son was hospitalized with cancer. To cheer him up, Kerr made pillowcases. Soon, Kerr also was making pillowcases for other children on the unit. The organization has grown to 121 chapters.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.