Geauga County woman delivers 170 blankets to Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital for the holidays

CLEVELAND - Sick children at Cleveland's Rainbow and Babies Hospital happily picked out a colorful blanket, thanks to the efforts of a Geauga County woman.

It keeps me warm in the cold hospital,” said 16-year-old patient Princess France, who referenced the multi-colored, peace sign-patterned fleece blanket that she picked out. France is battling bone cancer.

Genevieve Yeater, 21, of Huntsburg, delivered 170 blankets and quilts to the hospital Thursday as part of her organization, "Rainbow Blankets for Babies." Her organizational efforts for the dropoff began five months ago. Through Facebook and word of mouth, Yeater gathered donations, supplies and blankets nationwide. She also organized “quilting bees” and sewed many of the blankets herself.

"When a child is scared, they go to something comforting," said Yeater, who added that she got the idea to deliver blankets to sick children at Rainbow last year after hearing a fundraiser on the radio for the hospital.

Yeater’s social media campaign caught the attention of strangers as far away as Alaska.

“It’s beyond my expectations,” said Yeater, who works part-time at a local grocery store and is studying to be an orthodist at Auburn Career Center. She added that she put in her own money for the blanket drive and gives $20 a month to Rainbow. 

“It makes it seem like people care, and they know what’s going on with cancer,” said France, who’s expected to return to her Cleveland-area home by the end of the week.

Yeater says her next project will be delivering blankets to children at Rainbow for Easter. For more information on Rainbow Blankets for Babies, please visit: http://on.wews.com/UhhIZb