Blanket statement

Project Linus volunteers provide warmth and comfort to kids in tough times

COLUMBIA BASIN — Blankets are small things, but for a child who’s been through a hard time, a blanket can be a real comfort, and the folks with Project Linus aim to make sure there are always plenty of blankets on hand. Project Linus, named for the blanket-toting boy in the comic strip “Peanuts,” was started in Denver in 1995, and since then has put more than 9.3 billion handmade blankets in the hands of traumatized and ill children around the world. Of course, the three eastern Washington chapters, in Ephrata, Tri-Cities and Yakima, don’t put out anywhere near that volume, but it’s still impressive.