A local non-profit organization is holding a community wide event to help provide every child entering treatment with a unique blanket.

Since 2015, Fleece & Thank You has donated over 16,000 blankets to kids in over 30 different hospitals across Michigan and northern Ohio. Bryce Goulah of Howell co-founded the charity with a friend while working towards a degree at Oakland University. Goulah said it was a trip to the pediatric ward in a hospital that set him on this new path. Goulah said he'd noticed that some kids would have a teddy bear or blanket, but many of the children did not. He said he and his friend thought, “How awesome would it be if we could have every single kid have something on the bed waiting for them? The blankets add color to a room and give the children something to wrap themselves in to help them feel safe, cause no matter what age you are, a blanket makes you feel safe like a piece of armor.”

On Saturday, August 5th, the non-profit is holding their first ever “Make a Fleece & Thank You Blanket Day” with the goal of making 5,000 blankets. Goulah said they receive a lot of support in the fall and holiday season, and this is a way to help jump start and remind people of children-in-need during the summer. Individuals or teams can sign up, and for $24 per blanket get all of the materials and instructions needed to help warm up a child’s heart.

Fleece & Thank You’s blankets are unique in that donors get to record a video message to the child who receives it. A heat pressed patch with a URL to the message will be affixed to each blanket so that the recipient can view the words of encouragement at will and even leave a return message of their own to the donors. The event is being held at High Velocity Sports in Canton, but if unable to attend, Fleece & Thank You will mail the kits so that interested parties can participate at their own convenience. More information can be found through the link below. (Photo - Facebook)(MK)