Christmas tree will be turned into blankets for cancer patients

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – A new Christmas tree went up in Lee-Whedon Memorial Library on Saturday, a tree that was months in the making and will find a new use after the holidays.

Library patrons and some staff spent several months knitting or crocheting 10-inch squares for the tree. The finished tree has 175 of the squares. After New Year’s, the squares will be used to create blankets for cancer patients at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo.

Joy Cameron, a library staff member and five-year breast cancer survivor, is pictured with Library Director Catherine Cooper (right) by the tree.

Cameron and library staff member Lisa Pritchard were big cheerleaders for the project, promoting it to patrons. About 30 people made squares for the tree.

Cooper heard about a similar effort from a friend who was visiting from Ireland. That friend shared with Cooper how a library in Navan, Ireland, made a Christmas tree with squares that were then turned into blankets for cancer patients.

The Lee-Whedon tree also includes hand-made ornaments. Cameron said it takes about 10 of the squares to make a blanket.

She said she hopes the hand-made gifts will provide comfort to people battling cancer.