Project Valentine Surpasses Expectations


Colleen Anderson displays one of 300 gift bags prepared for cancer patients as part of Project Valentine.

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And the beat goes on, stronger and louder and more generous than ever. Project Valentine’s founder, Colleen Anderson, has a lot of heart. But then so do the hearts that surround her – those who donate gifts and construct care packages throughout the season for distribution to local cancer patients.

In its third year, Anderson and her team had hoped to best last year’s tally of 200 care packages for those undergoing chemotherapy and other cancer-related treatments. Instead, they reached 300.

“At least 30 volunteers from the university came” Feb. 5, to assemble the care packages, she said. “It was incredible.” Anderson admits that after all was said and done, it was nice to get her home – increasingly piled with gifts and goods – back to some semblance of normal.

Anderson, a cancer survivor, was delighted by some gifts that were new to the project this year. Knitzvah, part of the Allied Jewish Federation, donated several beautifully colored and textured scarves for the women’s bags. “They hope to donate 200 scarves next year,” Anderson said. “It was just the crowning touch.”

An inspirational gift – a laminated card with a mustard seed, borrowed from scripture as a symbol of the power of a little bit of faith – had another connection. “They used mustard gas years and years ago to try to stop cancer,” Anderson said. “I guess if it didn’t kill you, maybe it’d at least kill the cancer.”

Care packages were distributed by volunteers to University Hospital, the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center, Rose Medical Center and Children’s Hospital to name a few.  The staff at the hospitals have quickly come to know Anderson and her crew and look forward to care package arrivals. “They get excited. They love to see what’s inside.”

“I never in my wildest dreasms would have guessed it could get this good a response,” Anderson said, shaking her head. “It’s such a huge effort; it’s so well worth it.”