Knit-a-thon 2011, March 28-April 4
Created in 1985, the Knit-a-thon has been around since the very beginning of the school. Each year students in grades 1-8 knit rows of wool during their handwork class time, which are then sewn into blankets by high school students and donated to nonprofit organizations. Last year 12 blankets made by our students were delivered to children at the Waverly Children’s Home, the residential branch of Trillium Family Services, an organization that supports children coping with mental illness. In the past, students also raised money through the number of rows they knit, but as of this year it is a service project only.
This year, the law firm Landye Bennett Blumstein was an early sponsor of the Knit-a-thon with an initial gift of $500 and a pledge of an additional $500 if we can raise $1,000 from the PWS parent community. We thank the company and Board member, Jason Wright, a member of the firm, for their support.
A second sponsor, Happy Knits, has stepped forward with an additional donation of $2,500. We thank the owner of Happy Knits, Sarah Young, for this generous contribution and encourage you all to visit her store at 1620 SE Hawthorne Blvd. You will not be disappointed. It is a beautiful and well stocked store.
We hope you are inspired by these donations from our business community, as well as our children’s efforts in this unique Portland Waldorf School service project. You can make a direct donation to Portland Waldorf School in support of the 2011 Knit-a-thon, and help us match the generosity of both Landye Bennett Blumstein and Happy Knits.
In an article in the December Heartbeat, handwork teacher Cheri Munske writes about the importance of knitting in the lower school. “Modern research has shown that fine motor skills are directly linked to brain cell development. Hand-eye coordination is developed through knitting, and the tracking process the eye makes across a knitting needle is the same that occurs when learning to read. Math skills are also developed in stitch and row counting, as well as in creating patterns.” Read the entire article in the December Heartbeat.
What a unique combination of service to the community and education and learning the Knit-a-thon provides.
So, support our children with a gift today to the 2011 Knit-a-thon and help us fulfill the challenge from Landye Bennett Blumstein to match their $1,000 contribution with an additional $1,000 from our PWS community. Make an online gift to the 2011 Knit-a-thon. Or send your check directly to the school noting that it is in support of the 2011 Knit-a-thon.
