Valentine’s Day might be lamented by the lonely, but some Northwestern students are putting their hearts into brightening the holiday for seriously ill children.
Students made care packages Wednesday night for patients at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago as participants in the fourth annual Valentine’s Kits Party at Sheil Catholic Center. The event was sponsored by the Catholic Undergrads, Graduates and Young Adults and the NU Council of Religions.
About 40 participants sat in groups of four or five as they created and decorated 100 Valentine kits in Sheil’s lower-level lounge. The kits contain pre-made valentines as well as supplies for the children to make their own cards.
As Kate Gerth, a Music and Weinberg sophomore, sat at a table cutting out paper hearts, she said the philanthropy had an added benefit.
“It’s a great stress reliever,” she said. “It’s so easy to be selfish with your time, but coming here is an enjoyable way to remedy that.”
This year the event included the chance to make magnetic picture frames and eat refreshments while participants listened to the “Moulin Rouge” soundtrack and love songs by Nelly Furtado blaring from the stereo.
Erin O’Connor, president of Catholic Undergrads, said the group used an assembly line procedure to make the project more efficient. Each participant worked on a different activity, such as decorating bags or writing on pre-made valentines, at individual tables. At the end the various components of the kits were assembled into the final product.
“It’s a fun way for us to spend time together in a service-oriented way,” said O’Connor, who has participated in the event for each of the past two years.
“One of our goals is to not only learn about our religion, but to reach out to the larger community which we do through service projects such as this.”
Jason Renken, a member of Sheil and a McCormick senior, thanked everyone for participating in the project and said he and a couple other members will deliver the Valentine kits to the hospital this week.
“Although I don’t get to see the response of the children or the parents, from what I hear it’s very positive,” Renken said. “It’s something practical that they can physically work on.”
Renken said he tries to incorporate a “cheesy element” into the event every year. This year the party featured a “food surprise” that consisted of a big bowl of chocolate ice-cream bars that Renken produced half way through the activity.
As she pasted little heart men on a white paper bag and laughed with friends, Medill sophomore Katie Koss said she enjoyed her second year of participating in the event.
“This is a fun little way to help kids enjoy Valentine’s Day,” she said.
