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Quilts for a Cause
  
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By Linda Le Park - Citizen Staff Writer
Hundreds of people stepped up to donate quilts to be auctioned off to raise money for breast cancer research and treatment programs in the Sutter Breast Cancer Quilt Auction.
Quilts for Breast Cancer is a fundraising event that happens every three years and has raised more than $300,000 for its cause.
Scores of volunteers were at the Sutter Cancer Center on 2800 L St., Sacramento on Sept. 27 to hang up all 540 quilts that were donated this year.
The auction’s co-chairs Shari Schroepfer and Alice Smith, who is with the Elk Grove Quilt Guild, oversaw all of the work being done to hang the quilts.
“Most of the quilt shops in the Sacramento area acted as drop-off points for us, like Country Sewing (in Elk Grove),” Schroepfer said. “So we get their help. They collect them all and we collect them from there.”
People were still dropping quilts off to the center that weekend to make sure that they would be able to make their donation for the cause.
“I am still hearing a few folks say, ‘I’m sorry, can I bring you my quilt tomorrow?’” Schroepfer said. “These quilts mean a lot to the people that are making them, so we try to be accommodating.”
All donated quilts usually have dedications from the quilter. Dedications range from quilters who have had breast cancer to quilters who know somebody who has either died from or survived the disease.
Schroepfer said that patients, staff and doctors at the center have commented how much they love having the quilts at the center and how much it lights up the place.
“The patients and the caregivers at Sutter here, we hear them say, ‘Oh, the quilts are coming, the quilts are coming,’” she said. “And in fact, one of the doctors stopped me the other day and said, ‘Is there a way you can keep quilts up all the time? It makes the hospital feel so warm.’”
Even the volunteers are admiring the work of their peers and commenting on which ones they plan to bid on.
People from the public can come to the center and walk around the building to view the quilts anytime during business hours. If they see any they like, they can bid on it.
“Each quilt will have a card. Visitors will have to go to a bid book in the lobby and write down their bid. Each quilt will have a page in the bid book,” she said. “And then on the day of the auction, bid sheets will be up for them to write on.”
There will also be around 50 quilts that will be used for a live auction where people will actually shout out their bids. The most someone has paid for a quilt was at a live auction where the bidder paid $5,600.
“Our live auction quilts raise a quite a bit of money,” Schroepfer said.
The quilts used in the live auction will be the more unique, detailed, complicated, unusual and colorful quilts.
“When you walk around and see the quilts, you’ll notice that some are just very unusual, and those would be the things that we are singling out for the live auction quilts,” she said. “We also have some from noted quilt artists, and these will be in the live auctions.”
An online auction also exists, with around 15 quilts being used for it. Selection for the online auction is pretty random.
The most quilts ever donated to this cause was in 2005 with 720 donated.
“The money raised goes just for breast cancer research and awareness programs, outreach programs and survivor programs,” she said. “None of the money we raise goes to pipes and yarn (for hanging). That comes from a different budget from Sutter.”
The Quilts for Breast Cancer was started in 1999, with auctions occurring every three years since.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone who contributed to this, either through making a quilt, working on the committee or volunteering,” Schroepfer said. “We desperately need people to make a bid on the quilts. You can come between Oct. 1 to Nov. 1.”
For additional information or to view the online auction, visit www.SutterMedicalCenter.org/QuiltAuction/.
Quilts for Breast Cancer is a fundraising event that happens every three years and has raised more than $300,000 for its cause.
Scores of volunteers were at the Sutter Cancer Center on 2800 L St., Sacramento on Sept. 27 to hang up all 540 quilts that were donated this year.
The auction’s co-chairs Shari Schroepfer and Alice Smith, who is with the Elk Grove Quilt Guild, oversaw all of the work being done to hang the quilts.
“Most of the quilt shops in the Sacramento area acted as drop-off points for us, like Country Sewing (in Elk Grove),” Schroepfer said. “So we get their help. They collect them all and we collect them from there.”
People were still dropping quilts off to the center that weekend to make sure that they would be able to make their donation for the cause.
“I am still hearing a few folks say, ‘I’m sorry, can I bring you my quilt tomorrow?’” Schroepfer said. “These quilts mean a lot to the people that are making them, so we try to be accommodating.”
All donated quilts usually have dedications from the quilter. Dedications range from quilters who have had breast cancer to quilters who know somebody who has either died from or survived the disease.
Schroepfer said that patients, staff and doctors at the center have commented how much they love having the quilts at the center and how much it lights up the place.
“The patients and the caregivers at Sutter here, we hear them say, ‘Oh, the quilts are coming, the quilts are coming,’” she said. “And in fact, one of the doctors stopped me the other day and said, ‘Is there a way you can keep quilts up all the time? It makes the hospital feel so warm.’”
Even the volunteers are admiring the work of their peers and commenting on which ones they plan to bid on.
People from the public can come to the center and walk around the building to view the quilts anytime during business hours. If they see any they like, they can bid on it.
“Each quilt will have a card. Visitors will have to go to a bid book in the lobby and write down their bid. Each quilt will have a page in the bid book,” she said. “And then on the day of the auction, bid sheets will be up for them to write on.”
There will also be around 50 quilts that will be used for a live auction where people will actually shout out their bids. The most someone has paid for a quilt was at a live auction where the bidder paid $5,600.
“Our live auction quilts raise a quite a bit of money,” Schroepfer said.
The quilts used in the live auction will be the more unique, detailed, complicated, unusual and colorful quilts.
“When you walk around and see the quilts, you’ll notice that some are just very unusual, and those would be the things that we are singling out for the live auction quilts,” she said. “We also have some from noted quilt artists, and these will be in the live auctions.”
An online auction also exists, with around 15 quilts being used for it. Selection for the online auction is pretty random.
The most quilts ever donated to this cause was in 2005 with 720 donated.
“The money raised goes just for breast cancer research and awareness programs, outreach programs and survivor programs,” she said. “None of the money we raise goes to pipes and yarn (for hanging). That comes from a different budget from Sutter.”
The Quilts for Breast Cancer was started in 1999, with auctions occurring every three years since.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone who contributed to this, either through making a quilt, working on the committee or volunteering,” Schroepfer said. “We desperately need people to make a bid on the quilts. You can come between Oct. 1 to Nov. 1.”
For additional information or to view the online auction, visit www.SutterMedicalCenter.org/QuiltAuction/.
