Make A Blanket Week challenges volunteers to make 1,000 blankets

Fleece & Thank You (F&TY), Michigan’s largest provider of comfort care to hospitalized children – is hosting a Make A Blanket Week: Greater Rochester Area presented by Chief Financial Credit Union Saturday, Oct. 17 through Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020.

This is Chief Financial’s second year presenting the Make a Blanket event, which aims to make 1,000 fleece-tie blankets with video messages of support to comfort children facing extended stays in hospitals across Michigan. Community members and groups from Rochester-Rochester Hills and surrounding areas are invited to participate.

“One of our core values at Chief Financial is community involvement,” said Tom Dluzen, president and CEO, Chief Financial Credit Union. “We are fortunate to have so many community-minded members and area residents who are excited to take time out of their busy schedules to participate in our Make A Blanket Week. This is just one more way that Chief is inspiring creative philanthropy.”

To participate in Make A Blanket Week: Greater Rochester Area, registration is required: give.fleeceandthankyou.org/MABW20. The event is open to the public and registration is free. Once registered, participants can pick up a blanket kit between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Oct. 17, at Chief Financial Credit Union located at 200 Diversion St. in Rochester Hills. Participants also will have an opportunity to fundraise for the cause.

Then, all week long, participants will make blankets from the safety of their own home. During this time they are encouraged to come together virtually on the Make A Blanket Week Facebook event page where they get updates, watch sponsor interviews and enter giveaways and contests. After completing the blankets and uploading a personalized video through F&TY’s proprietary video platform, blanket makers can drop off blankets at Chief Financial on Saturday, Oct. 24.

Those unable to attend the event, but wish to help, can make a donation online at give.fleeceandthankyou.org/give/299413/#!/donation/checkout. Every $25 donated goes toward the making of one blanket. Blanket Making Kits also will be available online at fleeceandthankyou.org/product/mabw-2020 for participants who cannot make it to Chief Financial to pick up a blanket.

“We are grateful to Chief Financial for helping us meet our goal of providing blankets to the 30,000 children who every year face extended hospital treatments,” said Nicholas Kristock, co-founder and CEO, Fleece & Thank You. “With the Make A Blanket Week event, we can give these kids and their families a reason to smile and have hope when they see something bright and colorful waiting for them on the bed.”

Fleece & Thank You works with local groups to make blankets and video messages, and then delivers the blankets to hospitals. Its goal is a simple one: every child in every hospital bed receiving much needed hope in the form of a colorful, fleece blanket and a friendly face at the start of their treatment.

About Fleece & Thank You

Established in 2015, Fleece & Thank You is a nonprofit organization that makes fleece blankets with encouraging video messages for children who have been hospitalized. For more information, visit FleeceAndThankYou.org.

About Chief Financial Credit Union

Chief Financial Credit Union prides itself on being the only financial institution headquartered in the Greater Rochester Area. With a commitment to empowering financial success and inspiring creative philanthropy, Chief Financial has been meeting the needs of our members since 1941 through its branch locations in Pontiac, Dearborn and Rochester Hills, Michigan. Chief Financial is also the official credit union of Leader Dogs for the Blind and Rochester University. For more information, visit www.chiefonline.com.