IN PHOTOS: Crafting for a Cure returns to Winnipeg

Volunteers make craft kits for children visiting hospitals at a Crafting for a Cure event on June 27, 2024 (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg)

Volunteers took the time Thursday to help ensure a child’s stay at a hospital remains stress-free.

Crafting for a Cure returned to Winnipeg, with volunteers setting up shop at the Best Western Premier Winnipeg East to create crafting sets to be distributed to hospitals in Manitoba.

“I believe every child deserves to smile, regardless of what takes them into a hospital,” said Pamela Bielak, founder of Crafting for a Cure. “It's pretty simple; I'm not a cure, but I absolutely bring the distraction, and that goes a long way to helping to get the kids to feel better.”

Bielak said Winnipeg is the only city outside Ontario participating in Crafting for a Cure.

Volunteers assembled kits with crafts that will used whenever a child needs to go to the hospital.

In Winnipeg, some of this year’s kits were created with an Olympic theme. Kids can draw a flag and write a letter to someone who inspires them, whether an athlete, a doctor, or a family member. Bielak said doing the craft can help kids pass the time in hospitals.

“Three hours of a craft kit goes a long way to help you not focus on why you're there, and that, to me, speaks volumes,” she said.

Other kits had the theme “What does a smile mean to you?”

“Currently, there's a lot of anger in the world, and I keep reminding people just to smile because you know what? There's a lot worse things out there,” Bielak said. “If you can just smile and take a deep breath, you're going to have a great day, and that smile makes a great impact.”

Thursday’s goal was to create 600 kits in Winnipeg.