May 2015 Beads of Courage Day

The Spring Beads of Courage Day was a big success! Dr. Robert Simmons, Beads of Courage Bead Donation Director and GMS member, welcomed everyone and explained the Beads of Courage program. He told us how children receiving treatment for cancer and other illnesses receive beads for medical procedures. When they have a major event they get to choose an act of courage bead, which we were making that day. Act of courage beads are one-of-a-kind beads made by volunteers (like GMS members) and the beads are available to children all over the U.S. and several other countries.

The day started early for some juniors who came before the event to help set up. They put down a tarp to protect our beautiful new carpet and put cardboard on all of the tables. They helped clean up after the event too!

As soon as the room was set up, the bead making began. Juniors and adults eagerly shared their talents and created so many wonderful beads we used up pretty much all the clay we had! For their time and effort, everyone was treated with ice-cream, then juniors received special eraser clay. After the eraser clay is baked it becomes a real pencil eraser!

Many thanks to all of the volunteers and to Dr. Simmons for this very special event!

Lori Carter

First bead of the day!

These ladies helped us set up the tables...

...then got right into bead making!

Some pretty beads

Concentration

A yummy hamburger bead

Cute ducky

Minecraft beads

Dr. Simmons and Susan Reimbold reconditioned and softened some crumbly clay while Charles tried to look important

An angry bird made an appearance

A new member made this bead...

...and this bead too!

Sweet little girls and cross sectioned beads

Here kitty, kitty... roll over puppy too

Juniors received eraser clay for their efforts and one junior made this cool caterpillar

Lots of beads!

Juniors and adults were cranking them out

Lovely fish bead

More video game beads

A new member taught the juniors how to make these detailed flowers!

Traditional trilobite

So many cute and clever beads!

Everyone worked so hard

Dr. Simmons drilled holes in the beads and put them on metal rods to bake

An octopus surrounding a bead

A sleepy dragon

Sharks taking over the world!

Marshmallow man

A table covered with beads

Snakes on a bead

Beads on a skewer

There were so many beads we ran out of room on the skewers!