Linda Campbell (left) and Barbara Bruner of Moraga display quilts that will be donated to children who are recovering from cleft lip/palate surgery in Central America. Photo provided

Moragans Linda Campbell and Barbara Bruner are leading the preparation and collection of many custom-made quilts which will comfort children in Central American countries who are recovering from cleft lip/palate surgery provided by volunteer medical organizations such as Rotaplast and Alliance for Smiles. The quilts are all custom designed and sewn by volunteer Rotarians, spouses, relatives and friends in Rotary District 5160; it can take from ten to twenty hours to complete each one. These donated quilts allow the children's parents, who are usually very poor, to take their recovering children home in something very nice, rather than a sheet of plastic.

Campbell visited all 67 of the Rotary Clubs in District 5160 in 2008-2009 when her husband Jim served as District Governor, and she solicited custom quilts and small knitted bears to give to children after surgery. Since many Rotary Clubs wanted to commemorate the Governor's visit, the project developed quite a bit of enthusiasm, and Campbell received more than 650 quilts and 450 knitted bears, which were distributed to medical projects in East Africa and Central America.

Campbell is an active member of the Rotary Fellowship of Quilters and Fiber Artists, and she and Bruner are in other quilting groups. Both are members of Rotary Club of Moraga, as is Campbell's husband, Jim. For many years, Campbell and Bruner have led the Moraga Rotary service project to make and deliver about 300 Christmas Stockings to children at the county juvenile hall.

Moraga Rotary is a local service club within Rotary International that meets most Tuesdays at noon at St. Mary's College. For information, please call Gary Irwin of Moraga Rotary at (925) 376-7688.