The Quilt Project

When Carol Miller was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 1997, her passion for quilting served as a form of therapy.

For hundreds of years, the art of quilting has helped women fight isolation and depression. At a quilting bee, fabric remnants are pieced together and women work together towards a common goal, laughing, sharing and supporting one another with each stitch.

Quilting for a Cure
Miller knows that quilting provides exactly what women with breast cancer need: a refuge where the hands are busy and the mind is freed, a "comfort zone" that makes talking about cancer easier. So when she joined the Circle of Friends Support Group for women with breast cancer, Miller suggested the group make and auction off a quilt to raise funds for breast cancer research and support services.

From the group's first quilt, an idea was born.

The Quilt: A Breast Cancer Support Project is the fundraising initiative created by Miller. The project solicits quilt donations from across Canada and brings the quilts together for a national traveling exhibit. Auctions are held at Toronto's Casa Loma and Stratford's Avon Theatre to raise money for breast cancer research and support programs.

More Than $500,000 Raised
Since 1997, The Quilt has donated more than half a million dollars to cancer support programs across the country. All of the money from the sale of quilts goes directly to the Canadian Cancer Society office nearest to where the donor of the quilt lives.

This year, the Stratford-based project has received an astounding 420 quilts from Canada, the United States, Europe and the Caribbean.

"I am blown away by the response," said Miller. "Clearly this project has spoken to thousands of quilters and families." (Click on SEE ALL IMAGES under the main image to view some of the quilts donated in 2003).

Fabulous Fundraiser
The initiative culminates at an annual "Under the Covers" weekend held in Stratford. Events include tours of homes decorated with quilts, a women's hockey game and a gala dinner. The highlight of the weekend, however, is undoubtedly the Gala Quilt Auction.

Held at the Stratford Festival's Avon Theatre, the auction brings together quilters, families and breast cancer survivors to bid on 200 quilts. The auction is a touching tribute to those whose lives have been lost to the disease.

To learn how to donate a quilt or for more information on The Quilt Project, please visit www.thequilt.com or call 519-272-2588.