Making Beanies for Nat at Minnesauke

From Three Village Schools: As a building, Minnesauke Elementary School in the Three Village Central School District is always seeking different ways to give to others, and many students and staff recently participated in a program geared toward brining joy to a girl they had never met.

Through a project first organized by the building’s National Junior Art Honor Society that quickly spread through the building with the help of teacher Susan Archer and her class, the school participated in a Beanies for Nat initiative. The project was spearheaded by the Love Your Melon hat company in honor of a girl named Nathalie, who was diagnosed at 12 years old with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. Through her connection with Love Your Melon, Nat had become well known for designing, sketching and ultimately creating mini yarn beanies for the Love Your Melon team members in her spare time.

In order to bring joy to Nat as she battled the terrible disease as well as show how big of an inspiration she is to others, the company invited individuals across the world to create their own mini beanies using Nat’s technique. Using common household items – including paper towel rolls, yarn, scissors and tissue paper – the Minnesauke students fashioned hundreds of mini caps for Nat and shipped them off to Love Your Melon. All the beanies sent in from across the world will be combined to create an art piece for Nat and her family.

To show appreciation for those who participated, Love Your Melon donated one of their signature hats for each box of mini beanies received. Continuing with the giving spirt, Minnesauke payed that donation forward by gifting the hats they received to Stony Brook University as well as gave a special one to a staff member who is currently fighting against cancer.

Photo courtesy of the Three Village Central School District