“Yes Mam!”®
Mammogram Challenge Project Information
By Rita Barber
Dec 10, 2006, 04:30 pm

“Yes Mam!”® Mammogram Challenge: Project Overview

The “Yes Mam!”® Mammogram Challenge is a quilt project with national implications and involvement begun at the event, Quilt America! in 1990, in Indianapolis, IN. The not-for-profit project challenges quiltmakers to create fundraising quilts in support of free mammograms in their home communities. This exciting self-help program directs funds toward health facilities in the communities where the funds have been raised. “Yes Mam!”® is intended to make a positive statement about breast health, while providing screenings to those who are unable to afford them.

Across the country there are thousands of women whose economic status or private insurance does not allow them free or low-cost annual mammograms. The average cost of routine mammography is $100.00, and universal coverage is not considered to be cost-effective by insurance companies because of the relatively low number of cancers anticipated. Mammography is a recognized health care procedure, but many women remain untested because the cost is more than they can afford. The “Yes Mam!”® Mammogram Challenge project is dedicated to alleviating that situation by raising public awareness of the problem while creating one solution for it. Hospitals cooperating with participating quilters are providing mammograms at an average cost of $65.00.

Since 1990 women in every state, the District of Columbia, Canada, Japan, and England have responded with requests for the Challenge packet, which includes special “Yes Mam!”® fabric, instructions, suggestions for fundraising, and a special label for the finished quilt. Proceeds from sales of the fabric packets and pins also go to support projects at locations where “Yes Mam!”® auctions are held. Challenge quilts are invited to a non-juried competition at Quilters' Heritage Celebration, the annual international convention at the Lancaster Host Resort and Conference Center in Lancaster, PA, where they are judged and exhibited as a group. Awards are made in two areas: three theme/workmanship awards are given, and there is a special matching award (up to $2000) for the quilt that has raised the most money for free mammograms in its community. That award is given directly to the recipient mammogram facility on behalf of the quiltmakers of the quilt which has raised the largest amount of money.

In 1989 the three businesswomen who started Quilt America! decided that their new event should have a charity aspect, and that breast health was an excellent subject for a group involving mostly women. For the first event (1990) a donation quilt was raffled, with funds going to Methodist Hospital of Indianapolis, chosen because it is near disadvantaged neighborhoods. At the same time special fabric, which was created for the challenge, was announced at the 1990 show. The first quilts responding to the challenge were exhibited in 1991 and were invited to Houston for exhibit at the 1991 International Quilt Festival. That year the project was also chosen to receive the “Great Attitudes” award, given to those who act in behalf of all women, from Lifetime Television Network. Since then articles about the project and individual quilts and quiltmakers have appeared in quilting magazines, and many of the quilts have been exhibited nationally.

In 1991 ten quilts in the initial group raised $5,053.50 for free mammograms in their local communities. The top fundraiser, from New Jersey, raised $1335.00 and a matching amount was raised by subscription from among vendors at Quilt America! and given to the Hunterdon Medical Center, Flemington, NJ. Since then, challenge funds have gone to facilities in California, Alaska, Rhode Island, three cities in Indiana and Lancaster, PA. As of the 2005 show, over $232,780.00 had been raised by quiltmakers through the challenge quilts themselves, the sale of “Yes Mam!”® kits and pins, and the annual charity auction, also at the show. In 2006, we will add an annual benefit quilt drawing at Quilters' Heritage Celebration. At an average hospital cost of $65.00, this total has provided 5509 free mammograms for deserving women across the country.

PLEASE, SAY “Yes Mam!”®. Decide the way you and/or your group will participate and let’s get your community and Lancaster County off to an exceptional journey of support for this important issue for women.

YOU AND YOUR GROUP can be a part of this challenging project! Why not send for a packet of fabric, use it in any creative way within the challenge guidelines, and raise funds and public awareness in your community? Write: “Yes Mam!”®, P.O. Box 503, Carlinville, IL 62626. Kits are $7.00 plus $2.00 postage; pins are available at $6.00 each, postage free with kit.

(“Yes Mam!”® is a registered trademark of Barber Diversified, producers of Quilters' Heritage Celebration  and may not be used without written permission and credit from Barber Diversified.)





© Copyright 2003 by Quilters' Heritage Celebration