Panama City quilters create comfort for kids battling cancer at summer camp

Ann Leonard knows how to put two-and-two together.

First, the art: Seeing beautiful quilts hanging up in a South Florida dining hall and draped on bunk beds during a conference trip.

Secondly, the inspiration: Talking to her niece and nephew about their participation at a summer camp for children with cancer. And then being lured by their energy to volunteer there, too.

The glowing light bulb moment: Having friends in Bay County who quilt; and wanting to continue volunteer work at the summer camp for children with cancer.

“I was fortunate enough to get to volunteer (at Rapahope) last year for a week of camp, and it truly was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had,” the longtime educator said about the Mobile, Ala., camp. “You see all of these children who have this very serious illness and their parents are brave enough to trust us, to send them to us for a week. And we do everything we can just to make them have fun.”

Fishing, swimming, dancing and singing are just some of Rapahope’s “chemotherapy,” or cure-alls.

“Just (anything) that we can do to provide a good, fun, safe week for these kids,” Leonard explained about the week’s activities.

Sensing Leonard’s sparkling enthusiasm for the camp, and hearing her idea to give quilts to the campers, Karen McQueen, a quilter and retired teacher, said she was all in.

So, for three months, McQueen and other seamstresses, including some from Fort Walton Beach, sat down and sewed 53 twin-bed-size quilts in about 90 days.

“Anybody can sew,” McQueen said while looking up at all the quilts draped over the stairwell at First Baptist Church in Panama City. “I mean … you can learn; we can teach you. And we would love to have anybody that wants to either donate to the camp or make a quilt.”

Next year’s batch of quilts is already in production, with the hopes of stitching some 75-80 blankets for all the campers.

For more information about how to make a quilt for the camp, email McQueen at quilts4acause@gmail. And for anyone wanting to give to the camp, go to https://www.rapahope.org/donate