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Quilters Stitching Sudoku Pattern For Cancer Fight

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By MEGAN HUSSEY

Tribune correspondent

Published: February 14, 2009

LAND O' LAKES - The Wilderness Lake Preserve SKYE Quilters have raised nearly $8,000 in three years for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life effort through the creation of quilts offered in fundraising drawings at Land O' Lakes Relay events.

Now the members of SKYE (an acronym that stands for Sewing, Knitting, Yakking, Eating, which defines the group's favorite activities) are hard at work on their fourth Relay quilt, a 108-by-88 queen-size effort known as Wilderness Sudoku. This cotton quilt, a menagerie of florals, plaids and soft solid squares sewn in a sudoku pattern, will be offered April 25 in a drawing at the Land O' Lakes High School Relay for Life event.

The quilters are all members of their community's Wilderness Wildcats Relay for Life team; they initially started their quilting group, under the guidance of Wilderness Lake Preserve residents Peggy Jones and Janeen Salzgeber, for the purpose of creating the Relay quilts. Their latest creation also is known as the fourth annual Wilderness Lake Preserve Community Caring Quilt.

"It feels great to be doing something for somebody, and we want to help find a cure," quilter Judy Diver said.

The quilters all have personal reasons for collaborating on this project. Many of them have lost friends and family members to cancer.

"From the family of my husband's mother, four of five of her children died of cancer," quilter Ellie Gardner said.

"My husband died of cancer, and my grandson is in remission," quilter Vincie Cordery said. "He is a military man, now serving in Iraq."

"My grandmother had cancer, my husband's father had prostate cancer, my uncle died from cancer, as have a lot of my friends," said SKYE coordinator quilter Claire Thompson. "If we don't educate people it's going to get a lot worse."

Other quilters, such as Judy Diver and Denise Wall, are cancer survivors.

"It's important we do whatever we can to wipe cancer out," Wall said.

The SKYE Quilters began work in August on their latest Relay quilt, and plan to complete the quilt in March. Community members are welcome to help stitch the quilt. All who contribute to the quilt will be acknowledged in a dedication sewn into the back of the fabric.

The Wilderness Wildcats host a number of other fundraisers on behalf of Relay for Life, including a community cookbook, an ice cream social and other special events. Last year, the team was given a special award acknowledging its contribution of more than $10,000 to the Land O' Lakes Relay effort; in 2005, the Wilderness Wildcats won a highest fundraising team award at Relay.

The SKYE Quilters will appear with their quilt at 10 a.m. today at the Concert for the Cure at the Land O' Lakes Community Center. Drawing tickets will be available for sale.

SKYE QUILTERS

WHO: The Wilderness Lake Preserve SKYE Quilters

MEETS: 1 to 3 p.m. each Sunday and Thursday

WHERE: Wilderness Lodge at Wilderness Lake Preserve, a 680-acre, 948-home community in Land O' Lakes

MEMBERS: Claire Thompson, Grace Casola, Judy Diver, Jane Carlough, Denise Wall, Ellie Gardner, Vincie Cordery, Linda Milczarzyk and Maureen Allen. They are supported by Tish Dobson, recreation manager of Wilderness Lake Preserve.

WHAT THEY DO: Aside from the annual quilts they create for the Relay for Life effort in Land O'Lakes, the quilters also have been known to make curtains, aprons and small movie screens; the group welcomes community volunteers.

FOR INFORMATION: Call (813) 995-9651. To get drawing tickets for the fourth Relay quilt, Wilderness Sudoku, or to make a donation to the Wilderness Wildcats team, visit www.diversionsjewelry .com/wlpwcquilt.html

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