2014 news

December 2014
Russell Friends Group fundraiser a big help to VQC

On November 6, 2014, the Russell Friends Group of Victoria's Quilts Canada participated in a fundraising event held by the Russell Home Hardware Store. At the end of the day, the group had raised a total of $4890.00. These funds will go a long way towards paying for much-needed flannel for our quilts.

To thank them for their excellent fundraising activity, a Certificate of Appreciation was subsequently presented to the Home Hardware store, ScotiaBank and Friends Group in Russell. A big thank you also goes out to this wonderful group for all that they do to support VQC.

November 2014
2014 Raffle winners

The draw for our 2014 Raffle took place October 18, 2014 and we'd like to congratulate the winners!

First Prize - Beautiful Blue, went home with Sue Cherry of Ottawa. This is a gorgeous cream and blue quilt displaying twelve different star blocks surrounded by a beautifully rich and elaborate blue border. This quilt was appraised at $1,800.

Second Prize - Calendar Quilt, has twelve delightful blocks representing the months of the year set in a lattice framework. This quilt was appraised at $1,200, and the lucky winner is Irene Laflèche from Nepean.

Third Prize - a solid oak quilt rack made by the husband of one of our members. It is valued at $250 and was won by Adele Léroux of Gloucester.

Fourth Prize - Child's Wall Hanging, a fun and fanciful work of art that would delight any child. It is valued at $100 and was won by Anne Walsh of Ottawa.

Victoria's Quilts Canada would like to sincerely thank all the people who purchased tickets; the volunteers who sold tickets, both publicly and privately; and the people and organizations who allowed us to sell tickets from their locations.

This year's raffle raised $7737.18, which will help us continue providing physical and spiritual comfort to people with cancer in Canada -- one quilt at a time!

Again, congratulations to our winners.

November 2014
VQC Open House draws a crowd

Our Drop-In Open House on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 at VQC's National Office was a huge success and lots of fun!!! It was exciting to see so many people turn out to see our new digs and meet fellow VQC members as we showcased our VQC room and Heartwood House, where the office is located.

People were interested in seeing the before (where the kits are made) and the after steps (where the packers prepare the quilts for delivery) in the quilt-making process. Their eyes positively gleamed at the opportunity to buy some of the gorgeous Christmas, baby and funky fabrics, that were available for sale in the VQC Room and the Community Room, which we had borrowed for the day. Also on sale were a variety of items (placemats, table runners, coasters, etc.) that had recently been very generously donated to our organization.

The most exciting news is that we raised $1630.00 for VQC in two hours!!!

A round of applause goes to Janet, Judy, Kathy, Nicky, Carole, and Maureen for all their help in cutting and selling the fabric, including schlepping everything down the hall to the Community Room and then back! Many thanks also to the Board members who were present for their assistance in answering questions and in selling the donated objects in our VQC room. We couldn't have carried this off otherwise.

September 2014
Radio-thon achieves new high for donations

Our annual fundraising Radio-thon, which took place June 22^nd, 2014, reached a new high for donations and was the most successful one yet. Thanks to Rabbi Reuven Bulka, of the Congregation Machzikei Hadas in Ottawa, for dedicating his 580 CFRA radio program that night to raising funds for Victoria's Quilts Canada. Thanks also to Steve Madely, host of CFRA's Madely in the Morning program, for co-chairing the program with the Rabbi.

With their help, we raised $15,435.64. These funds will be used to purchase the raw materials (cotton, flannelette and batting) to make quilts that will be distributed to individuals living with cancer in Canada. As each quilt costs an average of $45 to make and deliver, this means that another 343 people will receive quilts they may otherwise not have.

Victoria's Quilts Canada would also like to extend a big thank you to the Congregation Machzikei Hadas in Ottawa for their assistance and for the use of their facility. Our thanks, and our appreciation, additionally go out to the organizers of the event, those who staffed the phones to take pledges, and those who phoned in to share their stories. Without them, we could not have achieved this result.

June 2014
Join us for the 5th Annual Rabbi Bulka Radio-thon!

Mark Sunday, June 22nd , 2014 on your calendars and tune in to Rabbi Reuven Bulka's radio program on CFRA 580 from 10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Rabbi Bulka has again generously dedicated his program as a fundraiser for Victoria's Quilts Canada. Joining Rabbi Bulka as co-host will be Steve Madely, host of CFRA's Madely in the Morning.

Hear from people who deliver quilts, people who have received quilts, and people who make quilts, and learn about the unique perspective of their association with VQC! Do plan to join us! Rabbi Bulka is head of the Congregation Machzikei Hadas in Ottawa.

May 2014
2014 Raffle announcement

This year we have four raffle prizes, including two magnificent quilts!

Make sure you get your tickets, available from Victoria's Quilts Canada members, kiosks, or by contacting us by phone (613) 843-9212. Tickets cost a very reasonable $2 each, or 3 tickets for $5, and the draw takes place October 18, 2014.

First Prize - Beautiful Blue, is a gorgeous cream and blue quilt displaying twelve different star blocks surrounded by a beautifully rich and elaborate blue border. This quilt was appraised at $1,800.

Second Prize - Calendar Quilt, has twelve delightful blocks representing the months of the year set in a lattice framework. This quilt was appraised at $1,200.

Third Prize - a solid oak quilt rack that was made by the husband of one of our members and is valued at $250.

Fourth Prize - Child's Wall Hanging, a fun and fanciful work of art that would delight any child. It is valued at $100.

Don't miss this chance to win one of these beautiful creations, and know that you are helping us in our mission of providing handmade quilts to people living with cancer.

May 2014
Gayle Madely Memorial Quilt-a-thon a hit with our volunteers

The results of our first annual Gayle Madely Memorial Quilt-a-thon, held on March 30th at the Congregation Machzikei Hadas synagogue in Ottawa, speak for themselves. Seventy-five participants braved the bitter March blizzard that day and came out to sew, iron, pin and tie quilts. By the end of the day, they had generated in excess of 100 quilts, which will enable VQC to comfort 100 more individuals living with cancer in Canada this year.

Steve and Rabbi Bulka both attended for portions of the day and could not get over the wonderful friendly atmosphere and the pure joy that those present felt doing their work. We had door prizes, chocolate and good food! What more could we want or need? Oh yes, quilts –lots and lots of quilts!

A big thank you goes out to those dedicated and industrious people who donated their time and effort in making the Quilt-a-thon a success. And, we cannot forget the organizers of the event, as well as our sponsors, who donated goodies for the day.

Another event is in the planning and will be held on April 26, 2015 in the same location. Looking forward to another successful and joy filled day!

April 2014
2014 Fashion Show

On April 26, 2014, Victoria's Quilts Canada held a very successful fashion show at City View United Church in Nepean. The afternoon was a lot of fun and we got a taste of the fantastic spring and summer fashions at Joanne's of Westgate Mall. There was something for everyone – classic styles for daytime and glamour for evening. The fashions were modeled by several fearless models from the ranks of our volunteers.

There were wonderful home-made desserts served with coffee, tea and drinks, and a silent auction where our guests could bid on art and gift items. Altogether, the event raised $2,526.30, which will help us to continue making quilts.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Joanne, the owner of Joanne's Fashions, who did a running commentary the outfits. Thank you also to our models, who strutted their stuff with great courage, and to those who brought the many wonderful desserts. A special thank you to the many people who attended; your participation is what made it a success.

Another fashion show is planned for 2015, so check back often for details.

March 2014
First Annual Gayle Madely Memorial Quilt-a-thon announced

We would like to invite you to attend the first Annual Gayle Madely Memorial Quilt-a-thon to be held on Sunday, March 30, 2014 at 2310 Virginia Drive (Congregation Machzikei Hadas) starting at 8:00 am.

As many of you know, Steve Madely of CFRA radio has been a staunch supporter of Victoria’s Quilts Canada. His wife Gayle received one of our quilts and it brought her both the physical and spiritual comfort for which we hope. Steve has participated in our Annul Radio-thon, hosted by Rabbi Bulka, each year.

Following Gayle’s passing last year, Steve still wanted to participate in that event. To say thank you to him in a very meaningful way, we asked his permission to hold a Quilt-a-thon in her memory.I was delighted when I put this idea forward at the Radio-thon and Steve did not hesitate to say yes. When I pondered aloud where we might hold the event, Rabbi Bulka immediately offered the shul.

Since the shul is a kosher environment, we ask that you bring no food with you to this event. We will provide snack and lunch. Should you have any dietary restrictions, please let us know and we will insure that your needs are met.

Be sure to reserve the date.