by Sylene Argent
Local entrepreneur, Andrew Banar, was born with Down Syndrome, and with that came a lot of health complications when he was younger. As someone who knows what it is like to be sick, Banar enjoys providing a little bit of comfort to youth experiencing time in the hospital.
When Banar began his own business, Group Hug Apparel – which sells the notable “Rock On” t-shirts, he made it his mission to give back to the community that supported him in his mission.
One of the charitable works Banar enjoys most is supporting youths, and their families, as they endure stays in the hospital. For years, Banar has sent hundreds of items to sick kids to bring comfort to the youths undergoing treatment or testing.
One of the items he loves to provide sick kids, are comfort quilts. Down to his last one last October, Banar took to social media to reach out to his supporters to see if anyone had anything to donate.
The following month, the bi-yearly Harrow Fair Crafters’ Weekend took place, and, “We challenged the ladies to make a quilt per year,” Vicky Lucier said, who is involved with the crafting group.
As a result, three groups and 13 individuals created 49 comfort quilts for Banar to hand out to those who could benefit from them.
Lucier was pleased with the number of quilts the group was able to donate and noted they will have another collection at their next meeting in November. She hopes the next collection will be just as successful.
Banar was pleased to receive the quilts on Saturday at the Colchester South and Harrow Agricultural Society building, during the March installment of the bi-yearly Harrow Fair Crafters’ Weekend.