People making scrub bags for front-line workers

By Rob Vogt, Local Press Writer
What started out as a simple gesture to help out some nurses deal with their used scrubs has gone around the world and back again.
Nancy Blezy, who co-owns the local quilting shop, got a call from her daughter who works on a COVID-19 floor at one of the hospitals in Calgary.
She asked Blezy if she could make a cotton bag to carry home her dirty scrubs. She was concerned about the transmission of viruses with the use of so many plastic bags.
“I just want something I can throw in the wash with my scrubs in it,” she said.
So Blezy made a cotton bag big enough not only to put in the scrubs, but also big enough they could move around inside the bag during the wash cycle.
She posted a picture online and an hour later had already generated a lot of interest.
Then Blezy made a pattern and instructions and put that online, free to download.
Quiltters, health-care workers, workers in other industries and so many more people contacted her. The bags could be used not only for health-care workers, but also police, fire departments, emergency medical services and more.
The pattern has had more than 3,500 downloads since then, with more than 200,000 visits to Blezy’s shop’s website.
“It’s gone all over the world,” she said.
The next question was, now that people were making the scrub bags, how to get them to hospitals where visiting was not possible.
A Facebook page called, “Scrub bags for Alberta health-care workers” was started, and it now has more than 1,000 members.
It connects contacts in each of the Alberta Health Services zones as well as health facilities with people who have scrub bags. People who want to donate fabric, thread and anything else have also joined the page.
In just over a week, more than 3,000 scrub bags have gone out, with more being made daily.
“People are busy, busy, busy making them and proud to support caregivers,” Blezy said. “Caregivers are kind of wow’ed.”
She has observed those making the scrub bags receive as much as they are giving.
“It’s both the giver and the recipient who are feeling blessed,” Blezy said.
She added many see it as a tangible way to support front-line workers.
“The more protected our front-line workers are, the better,” Blezy said.
The support has come from everywhere, from India and Australia to South America, Great Britain and beyond.
“It’s kind of amazing,” Blezy said.
“I think people want to show we’re all in this together.
“We’re trying to do our part.”
People interested in more information can call Willow Creek Quilts at 403-625-4353, e-mail wcq@willowcreekquilts.ca, or visit www.willowcreekquilts.ca