Our Newest Knitters

We have two knitters. Their caps are beautiful and so appreciated. Welcome to our project, Angel and Vicki.

This Is Our First Post. We Are Repeating It.

This is the very first entry in Joyce's Chemo Cap Project blog.
For those who are seeing this blog for the first time and for those who would like a refresher, we are repeating it. There are many changes as far as the hospitals and the amount of caps we have completed. Since the beginning of our project until now, over 4000 caps have been made. We have received caps from California to England and, of course, from our Texas knitters and crocheters. We are so proud of everyone who has contributed to our project. We have more than 5 hospitals that we deliver to now. We know that Joyce is watching over our project as we continue in her memory.
Joyce's Chemo

The Chemo Cap Project was started by Jan Goble, Lena Louter and Vivian Denbow after a mutual friend Joyce Schmitt was diagnosed with cancer. Joyce said that the caps she had to sleep in hurt he head because of the seams. We found patterns on the Internet for Chemo Caps. The patterns suggested using yarns that were soft to the touch. Jan and I bought yarn and started making the caps. We asked Joyce to "approve the yarn" to make sure it was soft. We started knitting the caps at the Allen Senior Recreation Center on August 1, 2007. Several of our friends at the center have joined us in making the Chemo Caps. Since many of the women can crochet and knit we have patterns for both types of caps. The caps are great for sleeping or being out on the town. Our Allen group had grown and now we have over twenty women knitting and crocheting the Chemo Caps. Our project has been shared with family and friends and spread to Dallas, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Pennslyvania, Iowa and Virginia.
Some of the senior who can not make the caps have either donated money or yarn to the project.
We found several cancer centers in Collin County that wanted the caps. We are currently working with the McKinney Cancer Center and Plano Cancer Center to distribute adult caps. Our only stipulation was that the caps be given to patients that could use the caps at no cost. Lena's main focus had been on childresn's Chemo Caps. Lena has made over 100 plus children's caps and has sent them to St Jude's Children's Hospital and the Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas.
In October we proudly renamed our Chemo Cap Project "Joyce's Chemo Caps" because without her friendshp and understanding of the great need for Chemo Caps we would not have know there was a need.
With your support over 1,500 "Joyce's Chemo Caps" have been made and distributed to cancer facilities in Collin County, and across the United States. Since the need is so great we are currently looking at additional facilities where we can distribute our caps.
If you know anyone who would like to join our group and make Chemo Caps, please contact Jan or Vivian. also if you know of a person in need of a Chemo Cap, they may contact either one of the Cancer Centers that have been mentioned.
Thank you all so much for your continued support. Each and evey one of you had made a difference in someone's life for your committment to this project

Cap Project

Letter We Received Regarding Our Caps

Hello, Vivian!
I lived down the street from Joyce during our high school days and always enjoyed her zest for life. I am so impressed with the Chemo Caps project you are a part of.

When one of my friends lost her hair due to chemo treatments, I wrote and a beautiful cap was sent to me which I gave to her. Another friend offered to make some for her and others so I bought many skiens of that wonderful, baby-soft yarn you use (I forget the brand name). Someone sent me a pattern but my friend having the chemo said that cap didn't fit and stay on as well as the one I received from you.

My friend, the knitter, has offered to make more of a pattern she finally devised. The chemo friend says they are pretty good and stay on at night okay. The knitter is going to be making more and I was wondering if you would like me to send some to you for distribution? I am going to take some to our local center where they administer the chemo.

Thanks for all you do in Joyce's name. It was great you sent the note to our class website.

Barbara Howe

Football and Pink Cleats

DeAngelo Williams was a catalyst for the NFL’s decision to allow players to wear pink cleats to raise awareness for breast cancer. Then he and the Panthers were off with a bye when the initiative began last weekend.
The running game last season took off after the bye week, and Williams would like a similar breakout Sunday while he honors his mom’s successful battle with cancer.
Williams, who said he lost three aunts to the disease, didn’t know his mother was diagnosed until after she was treated.
“She got it removed and she’s been in remission,” Williams said. “She’s a five-year survivor.”
Williams has since done charity work for breast cancer awareness, and in July went to Panthers director of community relations Riley Fields about lobbying the league to let players wear pink cleats. The NFL had already planned to have pink-wrapped goalposts, wristbands and gloves, but hadn’t approved pink shoes.
The NFL decided to allow five or six players per team to wear pink cleats over two games. Williams and receiver Muhsin Muhammad(notes), whose mother and mother-in-law are breast cancer survivors, are among the Panthers who will wear pink Sunday.
“She was flipping through the channels this weekend and she was calling me every time she saw somebody in pink,” Williams said of his mother. “It meant a lot to her, so I know it meant a lot to a lot of the cancer survivors and families out there.”

Wearing pink cleats in recognition of breast cancer awareness week, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady stands on the field during warmups before the Patriots' NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, in Foxborough, Mass.

Recent caps made for the Joyce's Chemo Caps Project

Make a Smilebox slideshow