The Villages Bead Club made and donated 75 bracelets to the American Cancer Society’s “Look Good, Feel Better” project.
ACS volunteer Michele Brady accepted the donation at the Bead Club’s meeting on Friday.
Susan McCauley, co-leader of the Bead Club, is a cancer survivor.
In 2016, she had a double mastectomy, went through intensive chemotherapy and radiation. She appreciated the “Look Good, Feel Better” program. The mission of the program is to improve the quality of life and self-esteem of people undergoing cancer treatment. The program offers sessions that teach beauty techniques to help people with cancer.
“It is not a support group,” said McCauley. “I didn’t need a support group. I had my own personal support group right here at the Bead Club.”
Co-leader of the Bead Club Jan Sharp said this was their first project for charity and everyone in the club supported it fully.
“This is going to be an on-going project we are calling Beading to Beat Cancer; we will continue to make these bracelets, donating them as needed,” she said.
Barbara Hagele, a 35-year breast cancer survivor, was one of the founders of the club in 2003. It was through her connection with Brady at a Villages craft show that this project came about.
“I am only too happy to have had the club embrace this and decide to keep it going,” said Hagele.
Each beaded bracelet has a tag attached that says “made with love by” and the name of whoever made it.
“This project is near and dear to our hearts,” said Sharp. “Because of our club members that have had cancer and because we like the idea of women helping women.”
The Villages Beading Club meets the first and third Friday at 1 p.m. at Churchill Recreation Center. Novices are welcome. There is a beginners’ table with a veteran beader available to assist the newcomers getting started.
