FAIRBANKS - When cartoonist Charles Schulz introduced security blanket-toting Linus van Pelt into the Charlie Brown comic strip in 1954, there was no inkling the popular character would eventually spark a nationwide, charitable project.

In 1995, a Colorado woman began making blankets for children hospitalized at a children’s cancer center in Denver and Project Linus was born.

A year ago, Donna Capps of Fairbanks, happened upon Project Linus while searching the Internet for a project to help others in need. By September, Capps officially established the Fairbanks chapter of Project Linus.

“I chose Project Linus because it affected children,” Capps said. “I work at the hospital and I see sick children with no hair all the time,” she said. The Fairbanks chapter joins hundreds of other chapters around the country. Thousands of sewers, knitters, crocheters and quilters are involved, making and donating hand made blankets and coverlets for hospitalized children and children in crisis in their own communities.

Capps has been making, collecting and distributing blankets locally with the help of a handful of volunteers.

The majority are co-workers at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital where Capps works as a scope specialist in outpatient Surgery, and her husband Chris is employed in the IT department.

Chris helps his wife by delivering the Linus blankets.

“He says he feels like Santa Claus dropping off the blankets,” Capps said.

When the mother of two teenage sons receives a blanket, she checks it for pet hair, washes it with hypo-allergenic soap and dries it sans strong smelling softeners before attaching a Project Linus tag. Then she packages each blanket individually in a clear plastic bag for distribution.

Blankets can be made in varying sizes for children ages birth to 17 years old. They can be as small as 36-inches square and as large as twin size, with laptop size blankets being the most commonly donated.

Blankets can be quilted, tied, knitted or crocheted (no openwork, please), and made of washable cotton, wool, acrylic yarn or fleece fabric.

Blankets must be devoid of any choking hazards, pompoms, fabric paint or long strings, Capps emphasized.

Capps also welcomes donations of blanket materials which she distributes to housebound volunteers.

The majority of the 80 Linus blanket donations to date have been distributed primarily to children at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.

“We need a lot more blankets,” Capps said.

“We also want to serve the Interior Center for Non-Violent Living, the Red Cross and the Fairbanks Rescue Mission. In order to do that we really need more volunteers.”

Donations of handmade Linus Project blankets can be dropped off at the FMH Outpatient Center desk.

For more information on the local Project Linus chapter, contact Capps at 388-1113 or visit projectlinusfairbanks.wordpress.com.

Contact staff writer Mary Beth Smetzer at 459-7546.