Peace quilt bridges generation gap

Children and senior citizens gathered together last week to create an intergenerational peace quilt in honor of Peace Week.

Nearly 40 squares, each with messages such as sharing, reading with children and smiling to one another in passing, were contributed Thursday and attached to the quilt at the Flamingo Senior Center, 6255 W. Flamingo Road.

Each piece represents personal feelings about promoting and maintaining peace between the generations.

"We want to continue this," Tina Stergios, recreation specialist at the center, said. Many people who just happened to stop in asked how they could participate. "It went real well."

Stergios came up with the idea as a way to bring the generations together. All ages, from 5 to 80s, participated. The patterns were contributed from schools, community centers and group homes.

Students from Kenny Guinn Middle School stopped in to look at the center and to contribute their patterns. Most of them had never visited the center before.

"The school is just at the end of the park, yet it's worlds away," Stergios said.

The quilt, entitled "Peace Between the Generations," will stay on display for some time at the senior center and then possibly may be moved to some of the schools. The event is planned again for next year.

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