| Local
Group Makes Hats for Inova Hospital |
By Leslie Perales
Observer Staff Writer |
| Colorful fabric and ribbons were strewn across tables in
the cafeteria of Sunrise Valley Elementary School as volunteers
made Happy Hats in honor of Becky Shaler Community Spirit
Day on Saturday. Shaler was a teacher at Sunrise Valley Elementary
School for about 25 years and she died of cancer a few years
ago, according to Cheryl Freeman, who taught with Shaler and
helped organize the event. |
| Freeman said Shaler had taken part in a Happy Hats workshop
during the last year she was alive, and "it was one of her
favorite charitable activities." |
| "It was so important for her to teach her students compassion,"
Freeman said. After Shaler died, the Giving Circle of HOPE
received many donations in her honor, so they decided to use
the funds to continue making Happy Hats, Freeman said. |
| "It's a worthwhile project to be able to do something to
make these ill children feel better," she said. |
| The Giving Circle of HOPE sponsored last weekend's event
and Glories Happy Hats led attendees through the morning workshop.
Working on an informal assembly line, volunteers sewed, constructed
and decorated the hats, which are donated to children at Inova
Fairfax Hospital. |
| Local students Shanna Jiang, Manavi Bhagwat and Katie Horlacher
said this was their first time making Happy Hats. Jiang and
Bhagwat, who attend Langston Hughes Middle School, and Horlacher,
who attends Rachel Carson Middle School, said they thought
the event sound like fun and they wanted to do something in
memory of Shaler. |
| Carolyn Gambrel, another of Shaler's former coworkers, said
that when the event started, most of their volunteers were
teachers, but this year they have a great mix of volunteers.
"This year we seem to have a lot more students," she said.
|
| Patty Hohwiesner, who also taught with Shaler, said Happy
Hats is the perfect project to represent her. "Becky was incredibly
creative," she said. "She just really inspired her children."
|
| Three South Lakes High School students enjoyed making Happy
Hats so much that they said they hope to bring a Happy Hats
workshop to their school. Paulina Codera, Avanthi Jayaweera
and Yoshiko Spratley said they want to help form a better
sense of community at their high school. |
| "We want more things for students to do after school," Codera
said, explaining this would offer students a chance to hang
out with their friends while completing volunteer work. The
girls said having a workshop in the school would help students
who have to stay after school for sports or other reasons
and they would have something to do while waiting. |
| Jayaweera said that prior to making Happy Hats on Saturday
she did not know how to sew, but now she can use a sewing
machine. "I'm usually home doing nothing and here I'm actually
doing something," she said. |
| In order to start a Glories Happy Hats workshop at South
Lakes, the girls must first raise $5,000 to pay for the materials.
They will then have enough materials to make 500 hats. Having
the project available to the students also will help them
earn volunteer hours toward the Congressional Award, which
recognizes America's youth and requires 400 hours of public
service to earn a gold medal, according to Susan Khorsand
of Glories Happy Hats. |
