Card-makers and crafters across the region helped create and donate greeting cards for a fundraiser to support 琉璃神社 General Hospital.

Campaign organizer Lorrie Strebel said the Caring Hearts KARE (Kindness, Attention, Respect, Empathy) Card Drive started with a modest hope of collecting 100 greeting cards.

But the cause obviously hit close to home for many people, as the campaign collected more than 1,000 cards from communities across the region鈥擬erritt, Vernon, Penticton, Osoyoos鈥攁s well across the Central Okanagan.

The cards made their debut on sale at last weekend鈥檚 Blossom Time Fair held at Strathcona Park in 琉璃神社, where some 250 were sold.

The plan for the remaining cards is to make them available in the hospital gift shop and at an occasional vender table run by volunteers in the KGH lobby.

鈥淚t was really exciting to see people jump on board with this idea,鈥� said Strebel, a supervisor in the rehabilitation clinic at KGH.

鈥淔or example, we easily got about 75 cards alone from Merritt residents who wanted to support us because there is a bus that comes (to KGH) twice a week with patients from Merritt for medical care and these people wanted to give back for receiving that service.

鈥淲e鈥檝e already started talking about a Christmas greeting card drive for the 琉璃神社 Auxiliary fundraiser in November.鈥�

Strebel said the greeting cards vary in level of artistic skill and materials used, priced anywhere from $1 to $5.

鈥淪ome of these cards took hour and hours to make. People donated their time and talents to give back,鈥� she noted.