KING CITY — More than a dozen years ago, Mee Memorial Hospital faced a familiar challenge faced by many rural hospitals: the need for a new mammography machine.
Essential for early detection and women’s health, the equipment came with a significant price tag. What followed, however, became a remarkable example of what a close-knit community can accomplish together.
Rather than tackling the challenge alone, Mee Memorial Hospital and its Foundation invited the community to be part of the solution. The effort aligned with the King City Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year event and was joined by organizations including King City Rotary and King City Young Farmers.
Fundraising took many forms, but one unforgettable centerpiece emerged: a stunning, one-of-a-kind quilt that would come to symbolize collaboration, creativity and care.
The King City Rotary Board, working with the King City Rotary Foundation, earmarked $25,000 to support the effort. The question was how best to use it.
Inspiration arrived during a visit to the Pacific International Quilt Fest in Santa Clara, where a wall-hanging quilt featuring women’s bustiers caught the eye of local quilters. With the designer’s enthusiastic permission, the pattern was enlarged and brought home to King City.
Members of the Valley Heritage Quilt Guild gathered for a dedicated workday at Grace Lutheran Church, dividing into teams to create 12 unique bustier blocks. Each was richly decorated with satin, lace, ribbon, leather and beading, as a celebration of artistry and feminine strength.
Local artist and quilt guild member Katie Mackin assembled nine bustiers into a full quilt, while the remaining three were transformed into pillows and sold at the silent auction.
During the live auction, two members of the King City Rotary Club bid the quilt up to $25,000. When Rotary won, the quilt was donated to the Mee Memorial Hospital Foundation.
Local craftsman John Jernigan of King City Glass mounted the piece in a custom glass-and-metal frame, and it was placed near the hospital’s mammography unit, a reminder of what community partnership can achieve.
The quilt will remain on display in the Mee Memorial Legacy Corridor, telling its story. It honors not only the equipment it helped fund but also the many hands, hearts and organizations that came together for the health and well-being of local women. It is a testament to generosity, creativity and the enduring power of community.
In the coming weeks, Mee Memorial will launch a brand-new state-of-the-art 3D mammography machine. This new machine will provide improved image clarity, increased comfort and faster image acquisition, resulting in an enhanced patient experience and better outcomes. More information about this new machine will be available soon.
Article courtesy of Mee Memorial Healthcare System.
