WEEK OF MAY 8, 2025
VOLUME 105 | ISSUE 11
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Woman makes quilts for organ donor families Arapahoe panel to oversee 1A funds
Elaine McFarlane learned skill after retiring from Denver Health BY ISABEL GUZMAN ISABEL@COTLN.ORG
The steady hum of a longarm quilting machine fills a quiet room as Elaine McFarlane stitches together squares of fabric, each one uniquely designed to honor someone who gave the ultimate gift of life by donating organs. For McFarlane, every quilt is more than a patchwork of colors — it’s a tribute to the families who gave her husband two kidneys and 12 additional years of life. “There aren’t enough words to express the gratitude (I have) for the families who donated their loved one’s organs,” she said. “It’s just overwhelming. So I feel like this is one way I can give back to them.” McFarlane, a resident of the Littleton area, discovered quilting after retiring from Denver Health in 2000. She invested in a longarm quilting machine, a specialized tool that streamlines the process of creating large quilts by allowing the sewing head — much longer than that of a traditional sewing machine — to glide over the fabric and stitch intricate designs with the help of computer guidance. While a typical sewing machine’s head measures about 9 inches, McFarlane’s longarm boasts a 26-inch head, making it ideal for large, detailed projects. “When I got my longarm in 2009, somebody (approached) me and said that she had a church group that wanted to start sewing for this organization called Donor Alliance and I said, ‘stop right there. I don’t care what you need, I’m in,’” she said. The Donor Alliance is a nonprofit that facilitates organ and tissue donation in Colorado and most of Wyoming. That moment sparked the creation of the Donor Family Quilt Project in partnership with the Donor Alliance. McFarlane and a team of volunteers began crafting quilts to be given to donor families. In 2012, ICU nurse D’Anne Van Gilder joined the effort after noticing the quilts while she was working, and quickly became an essential part of the project. That year, the group completed 66 quilts.
County launches resident committee after voters approve TABOR override BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Elaine McFarlane started her charity, the Donor Family Quilt Project, in partnership with Donor Alliance in 2009.
SEE QUILTS, P15
VOICES: 12 | LIFE: 18 | CALENDAR: 21
COURTESY OF ELAINE MCFARLANE
The Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners has officially ratified the creation of a Resident Advisory Committee (RAC), a new body designed to provide transparency, accountability and community input on voter-approved funds tied to Issue 1A. “The RAC fulfills the county’s promise of accountability and community input on using the Ballot Measure 1A money that voters approved last November,” Jill McGranahan, the county’s public information officer, said. “The RAC will be given the opportunity to review all the needs in Arapahoe County and have direct input on how these additional funds from 1A are used to address them.” During the 2024 General Election, Arapahoe County voters approved ballot measure 1A, which grants the county the ability to remove certain revenue and spending limits imposed by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR). “This approval allows Arapahoe County to collect, retain and spend revenue that exceeds the limitations outlined in Article X, Section 20 of the Colorado Constitution,” McGranahan said. The committee was approved during the commissioners’ April 22 meeting. A total of 10 members will serve on the committee. “Like all Arapahoe County boards and commissions, residents applied to be on the committee,” McGranahan said. “County commissioners interviewed applicants and selected members to represent the diverse geography, demographics, perspectives, districts and age groups SEE PANEL, P4
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