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Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region
East Sacramentan Quilts to Help Find a Cure 08-15-2008
Sacramento, Calif. |Aug. 15, 2008 – Gloria Schroeter has been surrounded by quilters for 20 years - her mother, her sister, aunts and cousins. The art form seemed like something she would naturally gravitate to, given her love of fabric and sewing that she's had since she was 12.
But it wasn't until a girls' weekend get-away in 1994 to Mendocino that Schroeter's interest piqued again. There she met Laura Kehoe, a graphic designer for a local daily paper who had a passion for art, textiles and fabrics. Kehoe's creativity and enthusiasm was infectious, and Schroeter told Kehoe that she kept meaning to take a quilting class, but continued to put it off because she was too busy.
Fast forward to 1995. Kehoe was diagnosed with breast cancer and her prognosis was grim. Heartbroken by the news, Schroeter gained some perspective on her own life.
"When Laura got sick, I realized I can't put things off. She encouraged me to take that quilting class," she says. "I finished my first quilt the night before she died."
Laura was only 37 when she passed away in 1997 and left behind two children, a six-year-old daughter and a 13-year-old son. "She was one of those special people you meet in your life. I owe a lot to her. She got me off my butt," says Schroeter.
Schroeter, 55, has been quilting ever since then and has channeled that creativity to help others touched by breast cancer through the Sutter Breast Cancer Quilt Auction. The series of live, silent and online auctions will benefit breast cancer research and treatment programs at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento. Several hundred handcrafted quilts and textile art will be on display at the Sutter Cancer Center, 2800 L St. in Sacramento, starting Oct. 1.
Schroeter, who underwent two surgical breast biopsies in 2000 and 2001 at Sutter, both benign, has been involved with the Sutter Breast Cancer Quilt Auction since 2002. This year she will donate a twin-size quilt that boasts a variety of colors, including pink, green, yellow and red. The quilt's yellow squares are accented with dark red chenille rick rack, a popular adornment that is often used as a border on textile projects. Playing off the adornment's name, Schroeter titled her quilt "Racking our Brains for a Cure." She is dedicating the quilt in Laura's memory.
The silent portion of the Sutter Breast Cancer Quilt Auction takes place Oct.1 - Nov. 1 and concludes with a live auction on Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. Sutter Cancer Center is open daily and the public is welcome to visit the quilt display anytime during October. There will be a bid sheet for each item on display so that individuals may bid during their visit. Learn more about the auction or bid on quilts and textile arts at the online auction by visiting www.suttermedicalcenter.org/quiltauction.
Sutter Cancer Center does more than treat a disease. We care for people living with cancer and strive to meet their physical, mental and emotional needs. Through comprehensive programs and services, we support our patients and those who care for them. For more information, visit www.suttercancer.org.
Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, is affiliated with Sutter Health, a not-for-profit, community based health system located throughout Northern California. For more information on Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, visit www.suttermedicalcenter.org.
But it wasn't until a girls' weekend get-away in 1994 to Mendocino that Schroeter's interest piqued again. There she met Laura Kehoe, a graphic designer for a local daily paper who had a passion for art, textiles and fabrics. Kehoe's creativity and enthusiasm was infectious, and Schroeter told Kehoe that she kept meaning to take a quilting class, but continued to put it off because she was too busy.
Fast forward to 1995. Kehoe was diagnosed with breast cancer and her prognosis was grim. Heartbroken by the news, Schroeter gained some perspective on her own life.
"When Laura got sick, I realized I can't put things off. She encouraged me to take that quilting class," she says. "I finished my first quilt the night before she died."
Laura was only 37 when she passed away in 1997 and left behind two children, a six-year-old daughter and a 13-year-old son. "She was one of those special people you meet in your life. I owe a lot to her. She got me off my butt," says Schroeter.
Schroeter, 55, has been quilting ever since then and has channeled that creativity to help others touched by breast cancer through the Sutter Breast Cancer Quilt Auction. The series of live, silent and online auctions will benefit breast cancer research and treatment programs at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento. Several hundred handcrafted quilts and textile art will be on display at the Sutter Cancer Center, 2800 L St. in Sacramento, starting Oct. 1.
Schroeter, who underwent two surgical breast biopsies in 2000 and 2001 at Sutter, both benign, has been involved with the Sutter Breast Cancer Quilt Auction since 2002. This year she will donate a twin-size quilt that boasts a variety of colors, including pink, green, yellow and red. The quilt's yellow squares are accented with dark red chenille rick rack, a popular adornment that is often used as a border on textile projects. Playing off the adornment's name, Schroeter titled her quilt "Racking our Brains for a Cure." She is dedicating the quilt in Laura's memory.
The silent portion of the Sutter Breast Cancer Quilt Auction takes place Oct.1 - Nov. 1 and concludes with a live auction on Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. Sutter Cancer Center is open daily and the public is welcome to visit the quilt display anytime during October. There will be a bid sheet for each item on display so that individuals may bid during their visit. Learn more about the auction or bid on quilts and textile arts at the online auction by visiting www.suttermedicalcenter.org/quiltauction.
Sutter Cancer Center does more than treat a disease. We care for people living with cancer and strive to meet their physical, mental and emotional needs. Through comprehensive programs and services, we support our patients and those who care for them. For more information, visit www.suttercancer.org.
Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, is affiliated with Sutter Health, a not-for-profit, community based health system located throughout Northern California. For more information on Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, visit www.suttermedicalcenter.org.