Each week, HHS9 students gather during block lunch to create hats for children and adults fighting cancer.
One thing Lewisville ISD works really hard at is teaching students to give back to their communities. Hebron High School 9th Grade Campus (HHS9) is doing just that by creating warm hats and colorful bracelets for children and adults going through the fight of their lives.
“We’ve partnered with Passing Hats, which is a national organization that works with communities and schools across the country to create hats for individuals fighting cancer,” HHS9 club sponsor Pamela Jones said. “We meet once a week during block lunch and create as many hats and bracelets we can during that time.”
Jones has been a quilter for some time, and like so many others, has had a personal experience with cancer.
“I had family member lose their battle with cancer, so this organization holds a special place in my heart,” Jones added. “And with my background in crocheting and quilting, I knew I was the perfect fit to sponsor this club.”
In the spring of 2015, a group of parent volunteers came to Jones with the idea that they could partner with Passing Hats for the LISD Big Event, an event hosted by all of the schools that feed into Hebron High School and The Colony High School where students give back to the communities they serve by doing service projects.
“Between the first Big Event and last year’s Big Event, we’ve donated more than 50 hats,” Jones said. “After The Big Event, we decided we wanted to continue the project and turn it into a club for all Hebron students. It’s grown significantly each year.”
As word has spread, Jones and the students have received hundreds of donations in the form of yarn for hats and rubber bands for bracelets. HHS Junior and club president Shruthi Subramanium was amazed at the outpouring of support and participation the club has received from students and parents.
“Like Mrs. Jones, I too have had family members that have fought cancer so the club really means a lot to me,” Subramanium said. “We have had a lot of students participate, so it kind of took me by surprise, and we actually ran out of supplies a few weeks ago. But we just received an extremely generous donation by one of our HHS9 parents, so it feels great to be able to continue to grow this club.”
While learning to crochet and making bracelets can be a lot of fun, the real reason the club was created is not lost on Subramanium.
“A club like this is really important for kids our age, to teach us about community building,” Subramanium said. “We are connected to the people receiving these hats in a small way, and it feels good to know that you are making an impact on them while they go through something really difficult.”
To learn how you can get involved or make a donation, contact jonesp@lisd.net.
