Members and children from Boys & Girls Club of La Plata County met Project Merry Christmas representatives Thursday at the Durango Mall to donate a heap of handmade fleece blankets to families in need this holiday season.
Eighteen kids from the club, a mix of boys and girls from ages 7 to 15, learned how to make no-sew fleece blankets by hand with volunteer Beth Parrott, then worked for two hours during the Thanksgiving holiday to create 11 gifts for Project Merry Christmas children.
“The intent was for kids to make blankets with other kids and donate them to kids,” said Kathrene Fratuschy, Boys & Girls Club director of development.
To that end, club children made fleece hearts and tucked them into each blanket to show some holiday warmth.
Boys & Girls Club kids participate in monthly gratitude exercises, which teach them to create something together purely for the benefit of someone else, in the spirit of the season. Kids from the club shared sentiments from the experience, including the excitement of learning a new skill, the satisfaction of selfless gift-giving and learning about Project Merry Christmas.
For the next exercise, kids will bake and decorate Christmas cookies and deliver them to La Plata County Sheriff’s Office employees.
Of the 18 kids who created the blankets, 10 were at Durango Mall to help with the drop-off. Fleece blankets were received by Project Merry Christmas representatives Dusty MacDougall, treasurer; and volunteers Toni Jancar and Luana Castellano.
Project Merry Christmas is a nonprofit that assists La Plata County seniors, disabled residents and those in need year-round generally and during the holidays particularly.
For more information about Boys & Girls Club of La Plata County, visit www.bgclaplata.org.
For more information about Project Merry Christmas, visit www.projectmerrychristmas.com.
fstone@durangoherald.com
