Giving Hugs, One Blanket at a Time

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January 2, 2013

When is a blanket more than a blanket? When it’s a “hug.” Children in need of a reassuring hug have been receiving blankets fashioned by Georgia’s Singing Sams chapter of the Good Sam Club since 2006. That’s when chapter members first got together at an RV campout to make tied fringe blankets for the nonprofit organization Project Linus. They’ve been at it ever since.

Named for the Linus character in Charles M. Shultz’ Peanuts comic strip, Project Linus unites a network of branches in all 50 states that collect homemade comforters, quilts and blankets. These snuggly coverlets are distributed to community hospitals and social service organizations to provide comfort and a sense of security to children who are ill, traumatized or otherwise in need.

Six and a half years after making their first fleece “hug,” the Singing Sams have contributed hundreds of blankets to Georgia’s Bibb County chapter of Project Linus, which in turn donates them to Ronald McDonald House, Save-a-Life, the Salvation Army, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children), Family Advancement Ministries, Robins Air Force Base and three regional hospitals.

Last November, the Singing Sams joined other members at the Daytona Beach Good Sam Rally in contributing 205 blankets to the Volusia County, Florida, branch of Project Linus. These are in addition to the 835 blankets collected for Project Linus at last year’s Louisville and Phoenix events, bringing the grand total for the 2012 Good Sam Rallies to 1,040.

Community service is a big part of the Good Sam experience, particularly for the club’s nearly 1,500 Good Sam chapters. Hundreds of worthy causes benefit from Good Sam chapters’ volunteer efforts, from Project Linus to Adopt-a-Highway to Dogs for the Deaf, just to name a few.

Learn More About Good Sam Chapters

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