maoStudios Promotes Crafty Humanitarian Effort

April 2007

Seattle, WA – maoStudios has agreed to work pro bono for Crafting Compassion, a non-profit group donating craft activity booklets and supplies to local cancer patients. maoStudios is excited about supporting this unique effort and is committed to promoting the non-profit’s efforts to the media.
Crafting Compassion

“I have seen members of my family and friends diagnosed with cancer. Watching the deterioration from treatments, both emotionally and physically is extremely painful. Crafting Compassion is offering some form of support and a sense of accomplishment for these individuals who have nothing but their worried thoughts,” states Andrea Jensen, maoStudios’ CFO and Communication Manager.

Allison Parrott, a 23-year-old avid crafter, had a big-hearted idea. She founded the group called Crafting Compassion, which with the help of many volunteers, is creating 200 activity booklets for the patients at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance’s Child Life Playroom. These booklets will be custom designed for three age brackets: children, teenagers, and young adults. The booklets will include games, coloring pages, and writing prompts to craft projects, complete with instructions. Crafting Compassion will donate all of the craft supplies needed for the projects.

Parrott was inspired to reach out to cancer patients by her sister Lesley’s struggle with leukemia as a baby. Eighteen years have passed but she vividly remembers the long hours in the hospital visiting her sister.

“I wanted to create a way for the crafting community to reach out and make a difference in the lives of cancer patients – what better way to do that than through crafts! These booklets and craft supplies are going to provide many hours of fun and healing through creativity,” said Parrott.

Crafting Compassion is currently collecting donations for new craft supplies and gift cards, as well as printing costs for the booklets. Donors can contribute cash or actual items. All donated items must be new and unopened. Craft supplies must be non-toxic. For the complete wish list please see the Crafting Compassion website, www.craftingcompassion.org.

Crafting Compassion also will be the featured guest at this month’s “I Heart Rummage,” noon-4 p.m. May 6 at the Crocodile Café in Seattle. At the Crafting Compassion booth, visitors can donate craft supplies, cash, or purchase a wide selection of items donated by local artists and I Heart Rummage vendors (100% of the proceeds go towards this project).

About I Heart Rummage

From crocheted clutches to stuffed animal scarves, beaded platforms to wire tension chokers, “I Heart Rummage” has it all. IHR features 45 of the Northwest’s most innovative indie designers and urban crafters at the Crocodile Café from noon-4p.m. the first Sunday of most every month. Admission is free; the event has a live DJ, and the Café serves an affordable brunch for visitors who’d like to eat and shop. Please visit www.iheartrummage.com for more information.

About Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, established in 1998, unites the adult and pediatric cancer-care services of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington Academic Medical Center and Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center. A major focus of the SCCA is to speed the transfer of new diagnostic and treatment techniques from the research setting to the patient bedside while providing premier, patient-focused cancer care. Patients who come to the SCCA receive the latest research-based cancer therapies as well as cutting-edge treatments for a number of non-malignant diseases under development by its partner organizations. The SCCA has three clinical-care sites: an outpatient clinic on the Fred Hutchinson campus, a pediatric-inpatient unit at Children’s and an adult-inpatient unit at UW Medical Center. For more information about the SCCA, visit www.seattlecca.org.