East Bay blanket project donates nearly 5,000 blankets to Oakland hospital

KGO logo
Friday, February 17, 2017
Hand-made blankets arrived at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland, Calif. on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017.
Hand-made blankets arrived at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland, Calif. on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017.
kgo-KGO-TV

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KGO) -- A gift of warmth arrived in Oakland Thursday, hand-made for young patients at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.

Jon and Anita Tonsing delivered more than 200 of the hand-tied, fleece blankets as the latest donation from Trevor's Eagle Blanket Foundation. Their son, Trevor, had begun the blanket making project while working to become an eagle scout. He chose Children's because of the care he received there after being born with a congenital heart condition.

After his sudden death from heart failure in 2009, hundreds of volunteers, many fellow scouts, and students from Northgate High School in Walnut Creek began making and donating the blankets themselves.

"I think it's just touching. We also hear from patients. Each blanket gets a label on it and a card that tells Trevor's story and why they're getting the blanket," said Anita.

Trevor's father Jon says doctors at Children's performed multiple surgeries while he was still very young.

"We're just enormously grateful to Children's for what they did to give Trevor just a wonderful 16 years," said Jon.

Trevor's eagle blanket foundation has delivered nearly 5,000 blankets since its launch, and they're hoping to reach that mark soon. For more information, click here.