Power of the 'blankie' prevails BY VICTORIA HURLEY-SCHUBERT Staff Writer VICTORIA HURLEY-SCHUBERT Ronnie Byrne, an instructional assistant in the preschool program at the Marlboro Early Learning Center, works on a knitting project for Project Linus during a meeting of the Nifty Needlers. MARLBORO - Linus was onto something toting his blanket everywhere he went . "We believe in the power of the blankie, everyone can relate to the comfort" of a blanket," said Hillary Roberts, director of the New Jersey chapter of Project Linus. Project Linus donates handmade blankets to children who are suffering serious illness and trauma. Linus Van Pelt is one of cartoonist Charles Schulz's classic Peanuts characters and is known for carrying his security blanket everywhere. The employees of the Marlboro school district at the Marlboro Early Learning Center have donated more than 60 blankets to Project Linus since starting the Nifty Needlers group in January. "There's a ton of people who wanted to join and learn" how to knit," said Kathryn Arabia, the principal at MELC. Thirty-five employees, or more than half of the staff at the school, are involved in the Nifty Needlers, she said. The group is expanding to involve other elementary students in Marlboro, said Marge Lasky, a teacher of gifted and talented pupils at the Frank J. Dugan Elementary School. The fifth-grade class will be donating 65 fleece quilts to the organization in June. "To watch fifth-grade boys making blankets with such love, it was phenomenal," said Lasky, who learned to knit at the age of 7. "My mom had a knitting store, so I feel like I'm carrying on her legacy." The Asher Holmes School is also involved, said Arabia. The New Jersey chapter of Project Linus started with eight contributors and has grown to more than 6,000 volunteers who make 12,000 blankets each year.