Lehi boy donates 1,350 blankets to Primary Children’s Hospital in blanket drive

LEHI, Utah — It began as a service project in a bid to make his school’s student council, but a 12-year-old boy far surpassed his initial expectations in a blanket drive for a children’s hospital that spanned several months.

Caleb Konopka said his first goal was to make eight blankets for the 10-hour service project, but after doing so and speaking with a worker at Primary Children’s Hospital, he knew his work was far from finished.

“The person we were giving all the blankets to had said, ‘We only had eights blankets.’ So, when we found that out, I felt very bad,” the boy said.

The worker told him the record donation to the hospital was 500 blankets.

“I was just like, ‘Man, then I’m going to get 501,’ and then I started going and I started making more blankets.”

When word of his undertaking made headlines, Konopka said he received even more support from the community, helping him to complete and collect far more blankets than his new goal of 501.

“Well, due to the support of everybody, we wound up with 1,350 blankets,” Konopka beamed as he looked back at a white trailer loaded full of bags containing all the blankets.

Konopka got the idea to donate blankets to the hospital after his older brother had a hospital stay when he was younger.

“He had gotten sick and was in the hospital for a week and he got a blanket and I found that to be pretty cool and I was jealous when I was younger,” Konopka said. “Now, I think of how cool that is, how he was able to get that comfort and warmth like you would have at home, so I just really wanted to help children out at the hospital, that they can feel that kind of warmth and braveness and courage.”

The family drove the trailer to Primary Children’s Hospital Friday afternoon.

Konopka said he was just grateful he was able to make a difference.

“I can’t believe we did all this!” he said.