St. Charles East offers a wide variety of extracurricular activities that focus on creating a sense of belonging and giving back to the community in new ways. One of the new clubs that was introduced this year was Blooming Blankets.
Blooming Blankets was created by juniors Lilli Margewich and Bella Kaschke. Each meeting, students create blankets for a different cause within the community, such as local pet shelters and homeless shelters. The blankets feature a simple tie-end design constructed by cutting slim strips into the sides of the fabric and tying them together in a knot.
When asked about the purpose behind starting her club, Margewich voiced, “Blooming Blankets was started because I wanted to give back to the community and help those who are less fortunate stay warm and comfy.” So far, the club has been able to achieve this mission by providing blankets for the homeless veterans shelter in Wheaton, animals at Anderson Humane and Big Hearts of Fox Valley, a non-profit organization that helps provide for families in need within D303.
Even though it is a newly created club that has only had a few meetings, Blooming Blankets has been very popular. A wide variety of students have attended the meetings with their friends. Senior Amalia Im stated, “I like going to Blooming Blankets because it always has a fun, carefree environment where I can go hang out with friends and give back to the community.”
The meetings allow students to leave whenever they need, making it very easy for students to attend without conflicting with other commitments. If a group of students needs to leave quickly that afternoon but still wants to help out, they can tie a pre-cut blanket.
“People should join Blooming Blankets because it is always rewarding to give back to your community,” Margewich said, “It’s even better to do it with your peers! Plus, we always have cookies to give out.”
Join Blooming Blankets to give back to the community and meet new people! Meetings are held in B200D. For information on their next meeting, check the Orange and Black.
