LA GRANDE — Local quilters are putting their fingers to use for a cause.

Tracy McKenzie, a La Grande resident, hosted a sunflower quilting class on Saturday, March 26, with the funds benefiting those in need in Ukraine. The fundraiser helped raise awareness and donations for Ukraine, while McKenzie also hopes to grow interest in quilting in the community.

“My mind just ran and it became a fundraiser for Ukraine,” McKenzie said. “Hopefully we can get some help for all that is going on.”

McKenzie began quilting three years ago, when she moved to La Grande. She is the owner of an online store called Essentially Loved Quilts and teaches classes for all skill levels. Saturday’s fundraiser was aimed toward beginners, with three basic quilt-piecing techniques being taught to those in attendance.

The quilting fundraiser took place at the La Grande Church of the Nazarene, with local quilters combining their efforts to make a Ukraine-themed pattern.

McKenzie came up with the idea for a Ukraine fundraiser when one of her students was very interested in the idea of working on a sunflower-themed quilt. The student discovered the sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine, inspiring the fundraiser.

The event required a $20 class fee, with half those funds going to organizations with boots on the ground in Ukraine. Individuals could also donate a block that would go toward the larger finished quilt, which McKenzie plans to raffle off to raise funds. She stated that the funds will likely go to either Samaritan’s Purse or Healing Hands Foundation.

McKenzie noted that different quilt styles require more time and effort in the production process. The quilts are compiled of a variety of cut and sewn shapes, with some of the pieces only about an inch long.

“I want to be able to share,” McKenzie said. “I love quilting, for me it’s very therapeutic.”

With quilting sometimes considered a dying art, McKenzie is hoping to bring back that interest in La Grande.

“We have so many amazing quilters here,” she said. “To get our community into a position where we can share our beauty with each other would be an amazing thing.”