One teen is offering kids the comfort of home, one pair of pajamas at a time.
Project PJ by Olivia has officially come to the Cold Lake area, with a drop off spot at Alta-Sask Wellness at 4910 50 Ave.
The initiative collects pajama donations for young patients of the Stollery Children's Hospital.
After four successful years in Lloydminster, organizer Olivia Brockhoff, 15, decided to expand to the city.
"This year, Alta-Sask Wellness Cold Lake told me their patients had heard about Project PJ, and they wanted to become part of it," she said.
Pajamas donated must be brand new and are being accepted until Dec. 7. As children at the hospital range in ages from newborn to 18-years-old, varying sizes, designs, and styles are encouraged to ensure everyone gets a pair.
This year, Project PJ is hoping to get 2,000 sets for kids in need, building off of their previous success of 5,000 over the last four years.
Brockhoff started collecting pajamas after a friend's sister was diagnosed with cancer, and her negative experience with the hospital's night time clothes.
"She absolutely hated (the pajamas). They were gross, stinky, and nobody liked them. They didn't feel like home," Brockhoff described.
Offering comfort to children while they seek treatment at the Stollery was at the top of Brockhoff's mind when she started rounding up donations.
"Everybody, when they're sick, they want to hang out in their pjs. They don't want to be in something gross that shows their back, and their underwear. You want to be warm and comfortable," Brockhoff noted.
Along with the drop off spots in Cold Lake and Lloydminster, some sports teams are helping Brockhoff collect this year.
"The PWN Steelers and the Fountain Tire Bobcats collect pjs at every home game they have," she said.
After collecting the donations, Brockhoff hands them over to the Stollery.
"The hospital will clean them to make sure they're sterilized. They set them up like a little store so kids can come and pick their sizes, what colours (they like), and which ones they want," Brockhoff expressed.
The 15-year-old's hard work hasn't gone unnoticed.
In September, she was featured at the IGNITE YLL Women's Leadership Network in Lloydminster.
"It was amazing, and I was so excited to be part of it. I was one of the youngest people there, and it was just incredible," she recalled, adding she will also be a panelist at the Inspiring Women Conference in February 2019.
Brockhoff has big plans in store for Project PJ.
"I plan on doing it for a long time, and I hope it gets (bigger)," she said.
For more information, visit Project PJ by Olivia on social media.
