Children participated in working to create quilt squares for a Comfort Quilt project at Newtown Middle School on Saturday, December 6.

The table was part of the Parks & Recreation Breakfast with Santa event, but organizers Suzanne Davenport and Jan Brookes are working on the project outside of the event.

Ms Brookes said when she read about how one of the many signs of support that was sent to Newtown in the wake of 12/14 she responded emotionally. A 35-block comfort quilt created by students at St Hillary Catholic School in Fairlawn, Ohio, and sent to a school in New Jersey to offer support for children affected by 9/11, was then sent to Newtown after the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School.disappeared,

A few months ago town officials realized that the comfort quilt was missing from its vast collection, either taken purposely from its Newtown Municipal Center display or through error. The Comfort Quilt has not yet been returned, despite numerous pleas from town officials and archivists.

At first Ms Brookes said she let the matter go. But when resident Anna Wiedemann later asked local volunteers if they knew anything about the quilt, Ms Brookes said, “then I knew it was something that needed to be done.”

If no one else was called to do something about the missing quilt, Ms Brookes said she knew she had to do something. She then contacted Ms Davenport, she said, and the new Comfort Quilt project was underway.

To continue offering love for communities dealing with adversity, Ms Davenport and Ms Brookes are offering local children an opportunity to pay it forward by participating in the creation of the new Comfort Quilt.

The table at Saturday’s event had children decorating quilt squares.

Ms Brookes said she hopes the new Comfort Quilt will offer the same spirit as the first one, but said recreating the quilt exactly will be impossible. Squares on the first quilt, according to Ms Brookes, were created by children.

Words that were included on the first quilt — “We are blessed” and “We are thankful” — will be included on the new quilt, however.

Quilt squares, said Ms Brookes, will be collected at least through the middle of January, and local children are all invited to create one. Parents should contact Ms Brookes at 203-426-9889. Supplies and directions will be given to those who want to help with the project.