Duane Hicks
After donating “chemo comfort” Thirty-One bags to the Riverside Chemotherapy Unit here back in late February, Jessica Ogden now is rounding up sponsors for a second round and expanding donations to the Atikokan General Hospital.
Ogden sells Thirty-One, a line of bags, purses, and organizing items, and is offering “chemo comfort bags” for purchase for $35 each.
The idea is for interested donors to buy a bag by contacting Ogden at 276-4428 or via Facebook.
The donor then can choose whether they’d like to donate the bag in their name either to the chemo unit at La Verendrye Hospital here or the one at Atikokan General Hospital.
“I’d had quite a few people ask me to do that for the Atikokan area,” Ogden said in explaining why she added a second option as to where the bags would go.
Of course, the donated bags won’t be empty but rather filled with items that can provide comfort to chemo patients.
Ogden will donate her commission from the sales of the bags to fill them with items such as blankets, hand sanitizers, lotions, candy, toothbrushes, lip balm, gift certificates for wig care, crossword puzzle books, pencils, pens, and more.
Ogden’s goal is to donate at least 31 bags. That was her goal last year and she ended up doubling it.
Between Ogden and Donna Kowalski, who also sold Thirty-One at the time, they donated a total of 88 “chemo comfort” bags to the chemo unit here–and even provided five thermal bags to chemo unit staff as a “thank you” for their excellent work.
Ogden was thrilled with the support she received last year and hopes the public helps her help others again.
She noted the timing for the “chemo comfort” bag drive is right.
In January, the first drive was part of a larger campaign with Thirty-One sellers participating. This time, however, she’s doing it independently.
“The response was so good, I thought I’d try it again now,” Ogden reasoned.
She added the timing also coincides with her being able to get a very good quality bag at a lower price than what it usually sells for.
