EP94: New Chapters, Big Hearts, and a Milestone June

Five new Binky Patrol chapters have launched — St. Marys, Georgia; Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania; Janesville, Wisconsin; Sharon, Wisconsin; and a drop-off location near Oregon State University in Corvallis. Pennsylvania's newest chapter made 86 blankets at their very first Binkathon, with a football team and student volunteers showing up to help.

June 20th marks Binky Patrol's official 30th anniversary — the date a shout-out on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1996 turned a 30-day-old Laguna Beach group into a national organization, triggering 800+ calls in 48 hours. Some of those original chapters are still active.

Oregon volunteers: storage cleanout is this Saturday. Fleece, flannel, cotton, batting, and soft washable yarn only. No stretchy fabric, no sheer curtains, no burlap.

The October Binkathon is open to all chapters. Find yours — or start one — at binkypatrol.org.

[00:00:00] Welcome and new chapters overview
[00:00:26] New chapter — St. Marys, Georgia (Latoya Wertz, St. Mary's Senior Activity Center)
[00:00:49] New chapter — Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania (Pamela Scandale, 86-blanket first Binkathon)
[00:01:12] New chapter — Janesville, Wisconsin (Dylan Thomas, Bodacious Brew Coffee Shop)
[00:01:32] New chapter — Sharon, Wisconsin (Sherri Farning)
[00:01:52] New chapter — Corvallis, Oregon drop-off near Oregon State University (Rania, Ryan, Zoe)
[00:02:14] Mr. Ballen Grant and private donation funding social and chapter growth
[00:02:45] Oregon storage unit cleanout — this Saturday; fabric needs
[00:03:30] June 20th 30th anniversary preparation
[00:03:41] The 1996 Oprah Winfrey Show mention and what happened next
[00:04:06] 800+ calls in two days; original chapters still active
[00:04:41] Mission — blankets as a reminder that kids matter
[00:05:01] October Binkathon — find or host an event at binkypatrol.org
[00:05:18] Final call to action — join, volunteer, start a chapter