Warriors in Pink
CANONSBURG – Members of the Martha Washington Quilters Guild continue to do their part in the fight against breast cancer.
For the sixth consecutive year, the guild has fashioned an inspirational Warriors in Pink quilt designed from handmade patches of remembrance, dedication and celebration that were created by breast cancer survivors, their families and supporters during this year’s Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Pittsburgh. Additional squares were embellished and donated by various groups around the region.
The patch project is part of a national campaign launched in 2006 by the Neighborhood Ford Store, a group of 81 Ford dealers in Southwestern Pennsyvlania, Southeastern Ohio and the panhandles of Maryland and West Virigina. Ford has been a longtime supporter of the Race for the Cure and, to date, has donated more than $125 million to research, prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
Every square of the quilt has a different message. Some are general, while others are more specific, offering messages of hope and encouragement for those who have survived – and admiration for those who haven’t. Together, they create a symbol of courage and a unified effort to beat breast cancer.
The guild’s most recent quilt is on permanent display in the mammography suite at Canonsburg Hospital.
“It’s our hope that this quilt will remind everyone who sees it that breast cancer continues to touch the lives of so many, and each square represents the unified fight to achieve a cure,” Dan Wind of Washington Ford said during the recent unveiling.
“For more than 20 years, Ford has been supporting the fight against breast cancer,” Wind said, “and it is so fulfilling to see that commitment extend to the brave warriors fighting right here in Canonsburg.”
For Sue James, a member of the Martha Washington Quilters Guild who coordinated the project, the fight against breast cancer is personal. Her grandmother had breast cancer, and quite a few members of the guild are breast cancer survivors.
“The hardest thing for me is laying it out,” said James, who spent hours trying to arrange the squares in a pleasing pattern. “We had some dimensional blocks, which made it more difficult.”
The guild also managed to find quilt material with white ribbons to complement the pink squares.
“We are very, very happy to be recognized for our work in women’s health,” said Jane Sarra, president CEO of the hospital. “We are deeply appreciative to receive this quilt.”
The first quilt created by the guild was donated to a breast cancer treatment center in Morgantown, W.Va. In the 2010, the guild’s quilt was donated to the Women’s Health Center at Washington Health System. The other quilts hang in health care facilities throughout the region.
“Breast cancer has touched all of us,” James said. “We all know a warrior who is still fighting and those who lost the battle. Warriors in Pink may provide hope and inspiration to all who have been touched by it.”