MORAVIA - As he entered the second grade, one of Jimmy Haessner's favorite things to do was to read.
That is why, after he died of leukemia in 1991, his parents started the James Haessner Reading Fund.
That fund got a big boost this week, thanks to some dedicated quilters in this southern Cayuga County community. The raffle of a donated 1920s quilt generated proceeds of $1,087 for the reading fund. After months of ticket sales, the awarding of the quilt, called "Dresden Flowers," took place Monday night at Christ United Methodist Church in Moravia
When Malvina Hunt of Venice Center donated the quilt - started by her aunt, Clara Cook - she insisted that the money be given to the fund to help benefit the Moravia Central School District's Millard Fillmore Elementary School and its book mobile.
"It just amazes me how folks remember the fund and send donations," said Anne Haessner, Jimmy's mother. "It's so touching after all these years."
The raffled quilt was one of a handful donated by Hunt to the Piecemakers Quilt Guild of Moravia. Since 2001, these Moravia women have met the first Monday of every month and filled the Christ United Methodist Church as they hand-stitch quilts for donations and other raffles.
Hunt chose the school-oriented reading fund because she had been a school teacher in the one-room schoolhouse in King Ferry. The fund is used to purchase textbooks that the school cannot afford, as well as give kindergartners a new book as a gift.
"Folks were generous and kind and gave us money," said Haessner about starting the fund. "We didn't know what to do."
Hunt's quilt came in pieces called "blocks," which the guild took and sewed together, adding a solid background and black embroidery. Many blocks were left over and another quilt was made and donated to the Genoa Historical Museum as a wall hanging. The museum used to be the King Ferry one-room schoolhouse.
According to Kathy Fick, the guild's informal publicist, it was their way of giving back,
"They have very strong teaching connections," she said of the guild members.
Another quilt will be donated to the American Breast Cancer Society, but will first require extensive rust cleaning.
When Hunt found it in her house during a cleaning, she discovered that the needles had been left in the quilt. Cleaning away the rust will require applying and then reapplying a specially made cleaning solution.
Since April, the women have been selling raffle tickets all around the country.
"We're really amazed at the amount we've got," Frick said.
On Monday night, Anne Haessner picked Betty Purdy of Moravia as winner.
Coincidentally, Purdy is the mother of guild member Debbie Head.
That fund got a big boost this week, thanks to some dedicated quilters in this southern Cayuga County community. The raffle of a donated 1920s quilt generated proceeds of $1,087 for the reading fund. After months of ticket sales, the awarding of the quilt, called "Dresden Flowers," took place Monday night at Christ United Methodist Church in Moravia
When Malvina Hunt of Venice Center donated the quilt - started by her aunt, Clara Cook - she insisted that the money be given to the fund to help benefit the Moravia Central School District's Millard Fillmore Elementary School and its book mobile.
"It just amazes me how folks remember the fund and send donations," said Anne Haessner, Jimmy's mother. "It's so touching after all these years."
The raffled quilt was one of a handful donated by Hunt to the Piecemakers Quilt Guild of Moravia. Since 2001, these Moravia women have met the first Monday of every month and filled the Christ United Methodist Church as they hand-stitch quilts for donations and other raffles.
Hunt chose the school-oriented reading fund because she had been a school teacher in the one-room schoolhouse in King Ferry. The fund is used to purchase textbooks that the school cannot afford, as well as give kindergartners a new book as a gift.
"Folks were generous and kind and gave us money," said Haessner about starting the fund. "We didn't know what to do."
Hunt's quilt came in pieces called "blocks," which the guild took and sewed together, adding a solid background and black embroidery. Many blocks were left over and another quilt was made and donated to the Genoa Historical Museum as a wall hanging. The museum used to be the King Ferry one-room schoolhouse.
According to Kathy Fick, the guild's informal publicist, it was their way of giving back,
"They have very strong teaching connections," she said of the guild members.
Another quilt will be donated to the American Breast Cancer Society, but will first require extensive rust cleaning.
When Hunt found it in her house during a cleaning, she discovered that the needles had been left in the quilt. Cleaning away the rust will require applying and then reapplying a specially made cleaning solution.
Since April, the women have been selling raffle tickets all around the country.
"We're really amazed at the amount we've got," Frick said.
On Monday night, Anne Haessner picked Betty Purdy of Moravia as winner.
Coincidentally, Purdy is the mother of guild member Debbie Head.