Knitters make a difference

Members of the Sunshine Circle, the Powell River chapter of Knitted Knockers - photo Dal Matterson

Knitted Knockers is an international organization whose members knit prostheses for women who’ve undergone breast surgery. Pictured  with their afternoon’s output of breast prostheses. From left: Kay Matterson, Joyce Morris, Sheila Erikson, Mary Henry, Joyce Baisley, Shirley Koleszar, June Vogl, Doreen Smith, Anne Innes, and Vicki Tysdal.

Its Powell River chapter, the Sunshine Circle, is associated with the Sechelt Telus Ambassadors charitable organization. The prostheses are donated to women who need them, but Telus, the founding organization, makes donations to the charity of the local chapter’s choice, based on the number of volunteer hours contributed.
The Sunshine Circle’s charity here in Powell River is the Hospital Foundation. “Two years ago, the Powell River Hospital Foundation helped us purchase yarn,” said Shirley Koleszar, president of the Sunshine Circle. “The Foundation also allows us to use their office in the hospital on Tuesday mornings, from 11:00 a.m. to noon, as the place women who’ve had surgery can come and select the knockers that suit them.”
The Sunshine Circle has 28 members, who have to date knitted just over a thousand pairs. More than 300 of those have been given to local women, their friends or relatives. Another 200 have gone to others who live on the peninsula or Vancouver Island. The rest have been sent to the Cancer Institute in Vancouver for dispersal as needed.
And the members are still knitting. “Other local organizations and businesses also helped us get started,” Shirley adds. “We’ve received a lot of feedback from grateful women who are very happy to have soft, light, comfortable, and washable breast prostheses for free."

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