York High Interact Club members are sewing their hearts out for breast cancer awareness
The York High School Interact Club, a division of Rotary, is doing their part to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
In 2022, club members set out on a mission to launch a service project to provide support for breast cancer patients.
The club created a plan and set forth to complete an interactive project to make hand-sewn pillows for breast cancer survivors to use after undergoing surgery.
Continuing the project this year, students completed their pillows this month and are excited to be able to continue providing support to help those who are battling breast cancer.
Mia Barton, president of the Interact Club, said, "I'm excited to continue this project we started last year. It is important that we support breast cancer patients during the month of October."
These pillows help women who have had breast cancer surgery by protecting their surgical incision and allowing it to heal by preventing the patient's arm from rubbing the surgical incision.
Pillows such as these are commonly used to provide an added level of comfort for patients while they are in recovery.
The Interact Club will be donating the completed pillows to the Breast Cancer Center at Elmhurst Hospital.
"On behalf of our breast cancer patients and team members who provide care at the Breast Cancer Center, we express our deep gratitude for the pillows from the Interact Club," said Dr. Kimberley Darey, president, Elmhurst Hospital. "The emotional comfort for the patients knowing the care, compassion and commitment that went into crafting the pillows is just as meaningful as the physical comfort they provide."
Each of the pillows are completed using T-shirts that were provided by the Interact Club members. Some of the students were already skilled with a needle and thread, but many students learned to sew, just so they were able to help make the pillows.
Interact Club is the high school branch of Rotary International and shares Rotary's motto of "service above self."
York Interact Club works closely with, and is sponsored by, the Rotary Club of Elmhurst. They are one of three service clubs at York.
The York High School Interact Club enjoys giving back to the Elmhurst community and is always looking for new members.