Ninety-nine out of every 100 babies born in the United States starts life with a healthy heart. Yet one in every four deaths of people living in the U.S. is attributed to heart disease. While not all heart ailments can be avoided, living a healthy life from day one can help assure your heart doesn’t give out sooner than it should.
The American Heart Association wants to remind parents that every child born with a healthy heart can look forward to a life of “freedom” by adopting a heart healthy lifestyle from the start. A life free from dieting. Free from smoking. Free from medications. Free from unnecessary stress and pain.
The association will get this message to parents of newborns through “Little Hats, Big Hearts,” an event that will ultimately provide the babies born in Springfield hospitals with a red, knit cap. INB is sponsoring the event, providing drop-off points throughout Sangamon County for completed, red newborn hats. Even if you don’t knit or crochet, you can help by making a donation of cash or yarn, allowing us to buy yarn for those who do knit and crochet. The hats will be distributed to local hospitals beginning in February, heart health month.
You can help by volunteering to make hats or donate money to purchase yarn so others can make the hats. We’re taking donations at all or our branches, and you’ll find patterns on the Heart Association’s website. Make the hats and drop off at INB by January 18. We need time to have each hat washed to hospital specifications and packaged before delivery to the hospitals.
If you’d like to be part of the team of volunteers making hats, please let us know so we can contact you as we receive donations for yarn.
To Donate:
Bring your cash donation to any Illinois National Bank teller. You can even use our drive-up lanes! If you’d prefer to buy the yarn and donate the skeins, please buy:
- Red yarn
- Cotton or acrylic
- Medium to heavy weight
- Machine washable and dryable.
Bring completed hats to any INB Sangamon County location.
Take Part in Our “Learn How” Sessions
From Oct. 16-21, INB will host knitting and crochet sessions at our branches. Stop in during the times listed and get help getting started. While we may not be able to completely teach you a new skill in the hour, we can provide you with resources to get you started on the simplest of hat patterns. We’ll even provide you with your first skein of yarn! Please bring knitting needles or crochet hooks. Everyone who joins in will get a chance to win a $50 craft store gift card. Must be present to win.
Locations and Times:
- Monday, Oct. 16 – West Wabash Branch from 10 to 11 a.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 17 – Pleasant Plains Branch from 11 a.m. to noon
- Wednesday, Oct. 18 – South Sixth Street Branch from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 19 – Chatham Branch from 10 to 11 a.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 19 – Riverton Branch from 10 to 11 a.m.
- Friday, Oct. 20 – Montvale Branch from noon to 1 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 21 – North Dirksen Pkwy Branch from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.