Costumer's Care 1
Making Comfort Caps for Chemotherapy Patients

Saturday, June 23, 2001              Oracle Corporation, Redwood Shores

Organized by Kij Greenwood, GBACG Workshop Coordinator and Kathleen Farrell, Oracle Corporation Facilities Planner and GBACG Event Coordinator

At first, we were a surging mass of bodies, boxes, colors, tools, and machines. Then General Kij took charge and the room took shape: cutting tables, sewing tables, pressing corner, QA/packing corner, trimming tables. In a short time we were up and running (Eisenhower could have used Kij on his staff).

Oracle Corporation put a ground floor conference room at our disposal (easier to lug in all the machines, ironing boards, boxes, etc.). The room was large and well-lit with windows along one wall. Coffee, tea, soft drinks, and mineral water were provided on a counter.

We settled into our work. Here Janice Sellers and Danine Cozzens are at work in the Stitchers' Corner. 

The first few caps were rather simple as we cautiously followed patterns and instructions, but you can't keep a roomful of costumers under control for long. Creativity burst forth. Sally Norton started adding decoration with all the fancy stitches on her sewing machine. Angela Eisley found the boxes of ribbon, lace and buttons and began to fashion flowers and other whimsical decorations. Ellie Farrell started hunting for fabric to match the stitchers' personalities: Jana Keeler got the hat to be sewn in black with a band trimmed in a piano key pattern. We were off and we were in a groove. Hats were flung through the air. 

Impromptu modeling sessions burst forth. Finished hats were applauded. And there was lots and lots of laughter.

Sara Lumnin, Loretta Litke, and Amy DeQuoy model their creations.

Just when tummies started to make rumbling noises, Kathleen Farrell announced lunch was ready. We all gathered in the spacious, sun-lit lobby of the Oracle building and enjoyed a delicious lunch of Moroccan Chicken, Cous Cous, Vegetables, and Chocolate Cake for dessert.

Relaxed and well-fed, we elves headed back to the workroom. The afternoon seemed to pass by in a moment. 

At the end of the day, our group of twenty workers had made, packed and labeled 65 caps. (QA, packing, and labeling by Captain Greg Greenwood, Kij's Second-in-Command.) 

Each hat was different. They were fun, and glamorous, whimsical and wild. Here, Angela Elsey models a lilac hat with one of her ribbon-work and lace trimmings.

That handsome couple below wearing the dashing chapeaux is Ellie Farrell and Greg Greenwood.

Do you want to feel a lot better when you wake up in the morning? This is how you do it. Give up one Saturday to join a crazed group of friends creating something for people you will never meet. And remember to say thank you that we are all here together. 

We plan to make this an annual event and hope to double the number of participants next year and double our output.  

All of us would like to extend our grateful appreciation to Oracle Corporation for their generosity in providing the conference room, refreshments and lunch.

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