While waiting for her chemotherapy treatment at the University of Minnesota Cancer Care Center, North Branch resident JoAnna Keocher makes hats on a loom to donate to others who are battling cancer. Keocher is a part of Team Yarn - Head Huggers, an organization dedicated to providing the comfort of hats, scarves, shawls, lapghans, and other handmade items to people who are fighting cancer and other chronic illnesses. More at http://teamyarn.blogspot.com.

Team Yarn representatives Amy Pass and Joselyn Pettit, surrounded by nurses and staff members, drop off 100 hats at the University of Minnesota Cancer Care Center. Of course, some were made there in the hospital by Team Yarn member JoAnna Keocher who is being treated for leukemia there.

North Branch resident JoAnna Keocher (front) and mother Bernice Foster of Amery, Wis. display a collection of hats Keocher made while being treated for leukemia. She donated the stack of hats, the most she’d ever made before, to Team Yarn - Head Huggers to be given to others battling cancer and chronic illnesses.

Ask JoAnna Keocher what she’s doing as she’s waiting for her chemotherapy treatments, and she’ll cheerfully tell you: “It’s a funny story. I belong to Team Yarn - Head Huggers, and I’m making hats for cancer patients!”

Yes, you heard that right. As she’s getting treated for her own leukemia at the University of Minnesota Cancer Care Center in Minneapolis, the North Branch woman is doing what she can to help others with cancer.

Keocher has been using a loom to make hats for several years, following the lead of her mother Bernice Foster of Amery, Wis. Both donate what they make to Team Yarn - Head Huggers, an organization begun in 2012 in honor of Koecher’s aunt, Cheryl Slater of Isanti, Minn., who died from a rare and agressive form of cancer.

The mission of Team Yarn is to provide the comfort of hats, scarves, shawls, lapghans, and other handmade items to people who are fighting cancer and other chronic illnesses. Items are all donated within the greater Twin Cities area. To date, the group has donated nearly 3,000 handmade items.

Since experiencing cancer firsthand, Keocher has begun making her hats a little differently. She’s found that she prefers hats to come down just to her ears, rather than to cover them, and so she’s started making her hats a bit shorter than before.

Keocher has been glad to have something to keep her hands busy while she’s in the hospital every few weeks for her chemotherapy treatments and recovering at home in between hospital stays.

“I have never made so many hats at one time,” she observed. “It gives me something to do. I don’t want to just sit.” Several women from her workplace at Wyoming Machine in Stacy donated yarn for her to use, and she’s also used yarn donated directly to Team Yarn.

One day, a nurse observed her at work, and let her know she could donate her finished hats on the fifth floor of the hospital. A few weeks later, on Sept. 20, 2017, two representatives from Team Yarn dropped off 100 hats at the University’s Cancer Care Center in honor of Keocher. Of course, the donation boxes included some of the hats Keocher had made.

Discovering she had cancer came as a shock to Keocher, who went into the Wyoming Hospital on Aug. 14 because of pain in her chest, and was immediately transported to the University’s Cancer Care Center where she spent the next 24 days. She is expecting to be out of work for three to six months. Recognizing the financial strain this is putting on the family, a friend started a Go Fund Me page. Donate at www.gofundme.com/jos-leukemia-fundraiser.

Team Yarn is always looking for more people to get involved. Drop off items during the monthly meet-up on the third Sunday of every month, 1-3 p.m., at Silverwood Park in Minneapolis, Minn. or drop off donations at the Cambridge Century 21 office when open.

For more information or to send a donation, email amyinthewind@gmail.com. Be sure to stay updated by browsing http://teamyarn.blogspot.com or visit the group’s Facebook page.

Long-time Team Yarn member Linda Moore was featured in the Fridley Sun Focus newspaper this week! Check it out!

Look! Team Yarn and Amery resident Bernice Foster were featured in the Amery Free Press
on March 5, 2016!

Check it out!

Did you see us in the Wednesday, March 8, 2016 Isanti County News? Check it out here!

Team Yarn was featured on the main homepage for all of Allina in December 2014. Neither Amy nor I work at Alina, but we have several friends who do, and they all let us know they saw our smiling faces when they opened up their computers at work. The photo featured our October donation to the Harbor Room.

Here's a screenshot one friend sent over:

Team Yarn - Head Hugger members donate 77 hats to the Harbor Room cancer resource center at the Cambridge Medical Center. Left to right: Jenn Johnson, Joselyn Pettit, Aurora Pass, Amy Pass and Harbor Room Coordinator Bonnie Gutzkow-Bowman. (Photo by Tesha M.C. Pettit)

Team Yarn - Head Huggers returned to the Harbor Room at the Cambridge Medical Center in October 2013 to donate 77 hats and scarves.

Many of the items were purple, in honor of Cheryl Slater, a lifetime Isanti County resident who died one year ago after battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Slater’s favorite color was purple.

Team Yarn made its first donation to the Harbor Room in January 2013. According to Team Yarn co-founder Amy (Slater) Pass, she wanted to give back to the Harbor Room since it helped her mother, Cheryl, when she was going through cancer. Pass credits the Harbor Room for inspiring her to begin Team Yarn.

“The people that come in to the Harbor Room are kind of in despair and going through a rough time. When they get a fun hat, it totally changes their day,” said Bonnie Gutzkow-Bowman of the Harbor Room. “Thank you, Team Yarn, for making all these beautiful hats. It means a lot.”

McCULLY SISTERS INVOLVED
Cambridge-Isanti High School 2000 graduate Susie (McCully) Haen, now a resident of Renville, Minn., learned to crochet this past year and made several of the hats donated to the Harbor Room. Her mother, Kathy McCully of Cambridge, taught her how to single crochet and her sister, Kelli, McCully, taught her the double crochet stitch during her first Team Yarn meeting in August.

“So far I have just made a lot of beanie hats, trying to learn how the different crochet hooks and yarn affect the pattern,” remarked Haen.

“I saw Team Yarn's Facebook posts throughout the year, and was inspired by the good work (thoughtfulness/love and talent) of the group,” explained Haen.

She was drawn to the group because of the hometown connection. “I thought it would be a nice way to give back to the community and nice to come together while doing so,” she stated.

Her sister, Kelli McCully, a 1997 CIHS graduate who resides in St. Paul, has been involved in Team Yarn since it began in January 2013. When asked why she is a part of Team Yarn, McCully stated, “I wanted to help provide comfort to those involved in potentially painful treatments.”

McCully learned to crochet just so she could join the group. She noted that every time she makes something, she tries to imagine what it would be like to go through what those battling cancer are going through. She hopes “that this small gift can convey my support and care.”

SHAWLS AND LAPGHANS
Over the next few months, Team Yarn members will focus on fashioning shawls and lapghans. To mark the first anniversary of Team Yarn, the shawls and lapghans will be donated to Our Lady of Peace: Home, Health and Hospice in St. Paul in January 2014.

“After the death of a loved one, certain possessions become keepsakes for those left behind, things like handmade shawls and lapghans. We would like to bring some last comfort to those who are dying, and also to the family members as they grieve,” observed Team Yarn co-founder Tesha M. Christensen Pettit.

“We’d love to see more people join the team,” said Pass. “We can use all the help we can get.”

Items should be handmade, new, washable, and free of smoke and pet hair.

TEAM YARN MEET-UPS
Team Yarn holds monthly meet-ups on the third Sunday of every month from 1 to 3 p.m. at Silverwood Park in St. Anthony, Minn. Locally, you can drop off items at Century 21 - Moline Reality, 202 Main St. S. in Cambridge on Mondays to Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Or, mail donations to: Team Yarn, c/o Amy Pass, 2536 18th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55404.

Learn more about Team Yarn at teamyarn.blogspot.com, follow on Facebook, or email amyinthewind@gmail.com.

CLICK TO VIEW STORY IN THE ISANTI COUNTY NEWS:
http://isanticountynews.com/2013/12/04/team-yarn-donates-77-hats-scarves-harbor-room/

Click here to view a story the Isanti County News ran when we launched Team Yarn:
http://teamyarn.blogspot.com/2013/01/team-yarn-featured-in-isanti-county.html

Did you see the Isanti County News last week? Team Yarn was featured on page 5. Be sure to pick up a copy, or check out the online version here: http://isanticountynews.com/2013/12/04/team-yarn-donates-77-hats-scarves-harbor-room/

Click here to view a story the Isanti County News ran when we launched Team Yarn:
http://teamyarn.blogspot.com/2013/01/team-yarn-featured-in-isanti-county.html

Team Yarn donation box at Century 21 office in Cambridge

http://isanticountynews.com/2013/03/07/team-yarn-donation-box-at-century-21-office-in-cambridge/

Read all about it in the Isanti County News this week!

Team Yarn was started in memory of Cheryl Slater.

Drop off hats, scarves, shawls and afghans for cancer patients

Want to donate to Team Yarn - Head Huggers in memory of lifelong Isanti County resident Cheryl Slater, but don’t have time to drive down to the Twin Cities?

Team Yarn organizers have made it easier for Isanti County residents to donate to their cause. A donation box has been added at the Century 21 - Moline Reality office at 202 Main St. S. in Cambridge. The office is open Mondays to Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you're planning to drop by on Saturday, please call 763-689-3593 to be sure the agent hasn't stepped out for a real estate showing.

"We believe in supporting community organizations, like Team Yarn and the Harbor Room, and are very excited to make our office available for these generous donations," said Carrie Gibbs of Century 21 Moline Realty. "Many of us have been affected by cancer and organizations such as these help families cope and find peace."

Feel free to drop by handmade hats, scarves, afghans, and shawls. Items should be handmade, new, washable, free of smoke and pet hair. Please bag your items together, and include your contact information in case Team Yarn has any questions.

All items will be distributed to hospitals and local organizations to support cancer patients here in Minnesota.

Team Yarn is a satellite group of Head Huggers, a national organization. It was started by former Isanti County residents Amy (Slater) Pass and Tesha M. Christensen Pettit after Amy’s mother, Cheryl Slater, passed away in October 2012.

Slater was diagnosed with Merkel Cell Carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of skin cancer, in December 2011. “She began chemotherapy in the winter of 2012, and we quickly learned that a head without hair grows cold very fast! Cheryl was blessed to receive handmade gifts of hats and scarves from family members and the cancer support center in her hospital to keep her warm,” noted Pass.

“Each gift was received with gratitude and was deeply appreciated. It's amazing how meaningful such a simple gift can be.”

Team Yarn made its first donation to the Harbor Room at the Cambridge Medical Center in January 2013. The February donation will go to the Richard M. Schulze Family American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in Minneapolis. In March, donations will be presented to the Children’s Hospital of St. Paul. Find patterns and more information on the group’s web site: http://teamyarn.blogspot.com.

For more information, email Amy Pass at amyinthewind@gmail.com.

Today, on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013, Amy and I met with the OLLI Knitting Group.

This is the first in our promotion efforts to draw in more craftspeople willing to be part of Team Yarn. (If you know of a group we should visit, or a place to hang a flyer, please let us know!)

Marian Eisner's husband, Rick, is battling Merkel Cell Carcinoma. She is in the red sweater (and was knitting a very fun scarf!)

Amy tells the OLLI Knitting Group about Team Yarn, what we're about and how we came to be.

The OLLI Knitting Group has been meeting unofficially for about 10 years, but it has officially been a part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute of the University of Minnesota for the last couple years. The group meets at the Shir Tikvah at 1360 West Minnehaha Parkway in Minneapolis once a month.

Today, there were 8 women there, knitting together. They didn't know each other before joining the group, but have found they have many interests, such as travel and politics. Their friendship grows during each month's meeting.

They bring their own various projects to the meeting, and it they are stumped, they find it's a great place to get help.

Seeing each other's work also inspires them.

(As they told us about themselves, I found myself hearing a description of what I want Team Yarn to be for its members.)

The ladies have knit for a large part of their lives. Some years, they've done more. During others, they've been too busy to keep up with their hobby. But they all find themselves able to focus on the craft now.

Trying on one of Team Yarn's finished hats...

The scarf Marian Eisner is working on.

The OLLI knitting group members enjoyed passing around the items we brought, admiring the work and trying hats on.

OLLI members hard at work on their own knitting projects.

Our brochure. (Let us know if you have a place to distribute brochure and flyers!)

We were invited to visit with the group by member Marian Eisner, whose husband Rick has battled Merkel Cell Carcinoma for a decade. Thanks so much, Marian, for the chance to present our cause to another group of women who might want to be part of Team Yarn!!

Learn more about the OLLI Knitting Group here:
http://www.cce.umn.edu/Osher-Lifelong-Learning-Institute/

Team Yarn honors Isanti resident Cheryl Slater

by Rachel Kytonen
Isanti County News

published Jan. 30, 2013
click here for original link: http://isanticountynews.com/2013/01/30/team-yarn-honors-isanti-resident-cheryl-slater/


An organization that began in honor of the passing of an Isanti mother due to cancer is making a difference in the local community.

Cheryl Slater was a lifelong Isanti County resident. During the 11 months she battled a rare and aggressive form of skin cancer, she appreciated the assistance she received from the Harbor Room at the Cambridge Medical Center.

On Monday, Jan. 28, Team Yarn donated several hats, scarves, shawls and afghans to the Harbor Room Cancer Resource Center, located inside Cambridge Medical Center.

Organizers Amy (Slater) Pass and Tesha M. (Christensen) Pettit explained Team Yarn’s mission is to provide the comfort of hats, scarves, shawls and afghans to people who are fighting cancer.

Pass, a 1996 Chadashchay Christian School graduate who currently resides in south Minneapolis, lost her mother, Cheryl Slater, to cancer on Oct. 20, 2012. Cheryl received a diagnosis of Merkel Cell Carcinoma, a rare form of skin cancer, in November 2011. Over the next 11 months, she fought a heroic battle with grace and strength.

Cheryl’s husband, Brad Slater, works as a carpenter and continues to live in Isanti. He is also involved in missions in Mexico and Utah part-time.

The Harbor Room Cancer Resource Center is available to anyone affected by cancer where patients and family can find the support they need both during and after treatment.

Online and printed resources provide the latest information on cancer prevention and screening. Many support groups and interesting classes are offered, including art and yoga. Wigs, hats and prosthetics are also available, and an understanding staff and compassionate team of volunteers are on hand to listen or talk. Most of the services the Harbor Room provides are offered free of charge.

On Monday, Jan. 28, Team Yarn donated several crocheted hats, scarves, shawls and more to the Harbor Room Cancer Resource Center located inside Cambridge Medical Center. Pictured in back are Amy (Slater) Pass and Bonnie Gutzkow-Bowman, coordinator of the Harbor Room. In front are Tesha M. (Christensen) Pettit and Amy’s daughter Aurora and Tesha’s son Axel. Photo by Rachel Kytonen

“My mom was diagnosed with Merkel Cell Carcinoma in 2011, and she began chemotherapy in the winter of 2012,” Pass  said. “We quickly learned that a head without hair grows cold very fast. I began crocheting chemo caps for her right away, as did my sister-in-law, and my mom was also blessed to receive handmade gifts from the cancer support center in her hospital. Each gift was loved and appreciated. It’s amazing how meaningful such a simple gift can be.”

Team Yarn is a satellite group of Head Huggers, a national organization. They have extended their mission beyond hats, and they invite the community to also donate scarves, shawls and afghans. All items will be distributed to hospitals and local organizations to support cancer patients here in Minnesota.

Pass said she wants to give back to the Harbor Room since it helped her mother when she was going through cancer.

“My mom received a number of items from the Harbor Room when she was first diagnosed with cancer, and I wanted them to be the recipients of our first Team Yarn donations,” Pass said. “It’s really because of the Harbor Room and the items my mom received from there that I even thought of doing something like Team Yarn. I watched the growth of the short stay/chemotherapy unit at Cambridge Medical Center firsthand over the course of the year that my mom was treated there, and I know that Cambridge Medical Center is treating a growing number of cancer patients. Though this is sadly unfortunate, it means that our help is all the more needed.”

Pettit is a 1996 graduate of Cambridge-Isanti High School and currently lives in south Minneapolis. However, her parents, Rande and Vickie Christensen remain in the Cambridge community.

The Slater family. Front row, left to right, Cheryl and Brad Slater. Middle: Aurora Pass. Top, left to right: Gabriel Pass, Amy Pass, Francisca Pass and Ulises Contreras.

“The Harbor Room and its volunteers have been quietly comforting the sick in our community for years,” Pettit said. “They do it in small ways—which are really big ways. That’s what our Team Yarn mission is, as well. We want to bring comfort during trying times.

“I am inspired to be a part of this because of Cheryl Slater, a woman I knew for most of my life. She was beautiful, strong, and courageous. She is a person who is sorely missed.  Nothing will bring her back, but helping others provides a path through our loss,” Pettit added.

Team Yarn has about 20 members, including people from California, North Carolina, New York and Canada. Pass and Pettit explained most of them have roots in the Isanti County area, either living there now or having grown up there. Others are Cheryl Slater’s relatives, who are honored to do something in memory of her. In Team Yarn’s first month, over 40 finished items were donated.

“We’d love to see more people join the team,” said Pass. “We can use all the help we can get.”

Items should be handmade, new, washable, free of smoke and pet hair. Team Yarn has an informal monthly meeting where you can drop off your projects or stay and craft with them. The meetings are held the third Sunday of each month from noon to 3 p.m. at Silverwood Cafe at Silverwood Park in St. Anthony.

About Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Team Yarn is passionate about spreading awareness and helping those with cancer catch it early. In particular, they want to increase awareness of the rare and aggressive form of skin cancer that Pass’ mom, Cheryl, battled. Since MCC is an uncommon malignancy, few patients are familiar with the disease and few doctors are familiar with its treatment.

Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) is a skin cancer, but while most skin cancers are nothing to fear, MCC is one with a high mortality rate. Roughly one-third of those diagnosed with MCC die. There are roughly 1500 cases diagnosed per year in the United States, making it about 40 times less common than melanoma.

MCC is associated with immunosuppression, UV exposure, age over 50 and a newly discovered polyomavirus that is common on the normal-appearing skin of most people. The cause of MCC has not yet been firmly established, and therapeutic interventions at late stage disease are frustratingly ineffective. Researchers are investigating immune evasion strategies employed by MCC, and how to overcome them using immunotherapy approaches—which as the potential to help anyone with cancer.

For more information
For more information email Amy Pass at amyinthewind@gmail.com. You can also mail your projects to: Team Yarn, c/o Amy Pass, 2536 18th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404.

You can also browse http://teamyarn.blogspot.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/TeamYarnHeadHuggers.

For more information on the Harbor Room call 763-688-8415.

Look for us in the Isanti County News this week. Editor Rachel Kytonen has written a story about Team Yarn and our recent donation to the Harbor Room.

I'll post a link to the story once it is on their web site!