At first glance, it looked like St. Euphrasia Church in Granada Hills was hosting an old-fashioned quilting bee in its parish hall. More than 100 people were seated at round tables working with large swatches of fabric.

Was it a sewing circle for the parish seniors? Hardly. While there were a few sewing needle-proficient grandmothers in the group, the majority of participants were co-ed teenagers using their text messaging-nimble fingers to knot tassels for "no sew" blankets.

Teens from the confirmation program, middle school students from the parish school and religious education program, and adult parishioners and community members had gathered in solidarity Jan. 21 for a special service project called "Bianca's Blankets," in honor of the parish youth minister's five-year-old niece recovering from acute aplastic anemia.

Since Bianca Rojas was diagnosed with the serious blood disease in Arizona last July, her aunt, Carla Nunneri, and members of St. Euphrasia's youth ministry, grade school and parish have been praying for her recovery during the long months of treatment, which required a lengthy stay at the University of Arizona Medical Center where Bianca received a bone marrow transplant in August from her near perfect-match oldest sister, Danielle.

During Bianca's hospital stay, she received a visit from a California friend-of-the-family, Lori Agrella, who has been best friend to her mother, Paula, since second grade at St. Bernard's. Agrella was carrying a special gift she had recently learned to make: a no-sew fleece blanket featuring one of Bianca's favorite characters, "Dora the Explorer." The soft and fuzzy blanket was a big hit with the children in the hospital ward.

Agrella came back to California with a new-found mission to make blankets for hospitalized children. Nunneri offered to host a parish-wide blanket-making service project, and a record number of intergenerational volunteers turned out to make 100 blankets in just under two hours as a gesture of thanksgiving for Bianca's continued recovery. After the blankets are washed and packaged, they will be distributed to sick children at Los Angeles Children's Hospital, the University of Arizona Medical Center in Tucson and Banner Children's Hospital in Mesa.

"Bianca has been through an incredible journey and together, as a community, through Christ, we are here giving back to kids in need," said Paula, who addressed the group as her daughter skipped around the room. "Blankets are a great comfort and give kids a warm sense of home when they are away from home."

Acknowledging that a lot of participants were candidates for confirmation, she shared that her confirmation in seventh grade was a "big step" in coming closer to God. During the "ups and downs" of life, she said, "I want you to think of one thing: always have God close to your heart because he has carved your name in the palm of his hand. And I want you to know that and to keep the 'Bianca' experience in your heart."

Confirmation students Carlo Nunneri and Julian Oquindo, both 14, spent time in conversation as they knotted tassels. "I think it's fun to be with your friends all day and do something that's going to help children in the hospital," said Nunneri. Oquindo added: "I came today because I'm a good friend of Carlo, and it's fun, too, to participate here in all the activities because if you don't, you'll feel kind of left out."

St. Euphrasia student Justin Abello, 11, worked side-by-side with religious ed student Megan Adams, 11, in quiet concentration. "I'm here to help people as much as I can," said Abello, who said he heard about the service project from his social studies teacher. "I'm doing this for extra credit for my CCD class," said Adams, who added she found the experience "really, really fun."

Marissa Magdaleno, 33, attending with her mother, Gloria, and sister-in-law, Mirna, said the event was inspirational. "I think this service project is amazing because it gets all of our youth together to do something. To see Bianca here, the youth get the whole picture, so I think that's great for them," said the St. Euphrasia catechist, who felt it was important to be present as a show of support.

"When I heard it was for Children's Hospital, it made me want to come even more to do something for them," said Mirna. Her daughter, Makaily, age four, has special needs and visits Children's Hospital regularly. "When you're in the hospital, it's always nice to get something from home," she added.

Father Mike Wakefield, St. Euphrasia pastor, roamed the room admiring the handiwork of his parishioners. "It is a wonderful project for a couple of reasons," said Father Wakefield. "It's great to help others in need --- that's what we're supposed to do as disciples of the Lord Jesus and, also, it's a wonderful chance for so many people in the parish, older and younger, to come together and work on something so worthwhile."

Bianca's godmother, Rose Mastromarco, a parishioner from Nativity Church in El Monte who drove out for the event, said she thought the service project was a "beautiful" expression of solidarity. "I think that's what we're here for," commented Mastromarco, "to help each other. I think Bianca represents everybody's child. "

For more information on future "Bianca's Blankets" events, contact Carla Nunneri at (818) 368-4512.