4-H Delivers

Hats Off for Kindness

The Issue

Cancer patients face many issues besides the difficult treatment and recovery process; discomfort, financial issues, loneliness, and self-consciousness at the side effects of chemotherapy are all issues that patients, especially children, must cope with on a daily basis.

What has 4-H done?

Two 4-H members, Karli Draxler and Cicely Venturella, organized the Hats Off for Kindness program where families throughout California had the opportunity to make homemade hats to be donated to cancer patients. Hats were brought to the State Fashion Revue and modeled, then donated to various cancer centers.

Because so many hats were created, donations were made to five hospitals in the region: the Valley Children's Hospital, Sonora Regional Medical Center, UC San Francisco Oncology Department, Oakland Children's Hospital, and Kaiser in Santa Rosa.

The Payoff

Hats Off for Kindness was a new community service project this year, and with over 550 hats donated, it was an enormous success. Each homemade hat was a unique and special creation that brightened a child's day. Says Cicely Venturella, "I couldn’t believe all the hats!  They just kept bringing more and more and they were all so cute too."

Author: Annalee Sanborn, State 4-H Office Student Assistant