Sandra, Vicky and Vivien with the quilt that will be raffled to raise money for breast cancer research. 70460 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By XAVIER SMERDON
FOR most people, when a close friend faces a battle with cancer, we might not know what to do, but for one Tarneit resident it was clear that she had to do something big.
Vivien Bleakley’s friend was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 and at that point she decided to try and raise much needed funds for research to beat the disease and also for the Jane McGrath foundation.
“Instead of just sitting on my hands I decided that I had to do something to honour my friend,” Ms Bleakley said.
Last year she organised a girl’s night in and raised more than $1000, but this year she has decided to go down a more personal road.
She enlisted the help of the Sow and Sew group, a group of ladies who enjoy gardening in the summer months and arts and crafts in the colder months, through the Crossroads Uniting Church and asked them to create a detailed quilt which could be raffled off to raise money.
“In my naivity I asked them if they would make me a quilt, without realising the amount of work that goes into it,” she said.
“After a while I just put it in the too hard basket, but the ladies insisted on going ahead with it.”
Six people worked on the quilt for months and went to excruciating detail to make it a true symbol of Vivien’s friend.
“All the squares are made individually by hand and there are irises and tulips to represent her Dutch heritage and gumnuts for her Australian life,” Vivien said.
Vivien’s friend lives in New South Wales and is still battling the disease.
The quilt will be raffled off on 20 October and the ladies will also hold a mini-mart to raise money on 19 November.
For more information on how to by a raffle ticket call Tracey on 0425 332 181.
