On Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11, more than 430 volunteers participated in a JustServe community Magic Yarn Project held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Saratoga.
With set up, meals, trainers and volunteers young and old, yarn wigs were made, styled after beloved Disney characters like Elsa, Rapunzel, Moana, Ariel, Belle and others, like Captain America.
The wigs are for children battling with cancer and other medical hair loss conditions. The yarn wigs are soft on tender bald heads. The goal was to make 200 wigs.
They held four two-hour sessions, with the final one focused on youth participation.
Wig-makers were trained by Magic Yarn staff who traveled from Southern California.
It takes about two hours for a team (of two) to make a wig.
(Courtesy of Lorraine Hepworth)
After the yarn is looped into the pre-crocheted cap, it gets braided and decorated.
A Polaroid picture is taken with participants holding their wig.
They put the photo inside a card, including their names and the city where they live—as these wigs get sent all over the country.
The cards are put in a decorated envelope matching the character, wrapped with the wig in a clear bag, then finished with a purple ribbon tied in a bow.
“It is like magic all wrapped up ready to ship,” is how one organizer put it.
This year’s effort produced 206 wigs.
The yarn was donated from groups all over the Bay Area.
A family that came from Modesto shared their heart-warming story of their son, Jaden, who was diagnosed with AML cancer at 12 years of age.
He spent 224 days in hospital, receiving 219 doses of Chemo and 166 blood transfusions over the eight-and-a-half months.
(Courtesy of Lorraine Hepworth)
“It was a hard thing for Jaden to lose his hair,” said an organizer, reflecting on their talk.
Magic Yarn founder Holly Christensen connected with the family—Holly and Jaden’s dad were friends in High School. Holly sent Jaden a Captain America beanie, which he wore to cover his bald head and still proudly wears it today.
Approximately 15,000 kids are diagnosed with cancer each year in the USA alone.
Magic Yarn Project has made and distributed over 50,000 wigs over the past eight years to 52 countries.
Some of the wigs made this year in Saratoga will be donated to local hospitals and cancer clinics.
“As a cancer nurse, I have learned that I can’t save the world,” said Christensen, who lives in Alaska. “I can’t take the horrible disease away. But I can do something. I can bring some light into cancer patients’ lives and help provide a magical escape during an otherwise dark and difficult time.”
