Gabrielle Harris has avoided watching any coverage of the Virginia Tech shooting this week.

That's because it brings back bad memories for the Provo resident. She lived through a similar situation during the horrific shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado.

"I make an effort to not watch (the news) because it does ... bring back a lot of those feelings," she said.

Friday, on the eighth anniversary of the shooting, Harris decided to pay forward the kindness showed to her after the Columbine shooting by making comfort quilts for Virginia Tech students affected by the tragedy. A quilting station with tables, a sewing machine and quilting frames was set up in the University of Utah LDS Institute of Religion Thursday and Friday so passing students could help with the project during any free time they had.

"People made comfort quilts for us, so we're (trying) to do the same for (Virginia students)," Harris said. "It's not so much the quilt itself but just knowing people care about you and are willing to show their support (that matters)."

Liz Carlston, a University of Utah graduate student who also attended Columbine, got involved in the project, calling businesses to ask for donations and arranging for the ZCMI Center Deseret Book to pay the shipping to send the quilts to Virginia. The goal is to send 150 quilts.

"Columbine had comfort quilts," she said. "This is a way to give back to Virginia and send the message that there are people who care."

Carlston said it's been amazing to see people's willingness to donate. One gentleman called after hearing about the project to offer an entire closet full of quilting supplies his grandmother had. Another woman at a fabric store offered batting she had sitting in her basement.

"This really is a labor of love. I think about 150 people have (stopped by)," Carlston said. "Every little stitch helps."

Ryan Dahlberg, a junior from Sandy, said it's normal for him to help with ongoing service projects at the Institute, but this one held special significance.

"I think it's awesome we are helping out the victims of a tragedy felt nationwide," he said. "It's always sad to hear something like that happened, and it's good to be able to help out."

Ryan Croft, a junior from Salt Lake City, said although tragedies are difficult to deal with, they often bring the best out in people.

"It's brought our campus together even though it happened so far away," he said. "I believe that any time we're pushed to be something we're not expecting to be or not wanting to be, it shows us what we're made of."

Anyone who would like to donate can bring finished quilts to the ZCMI Center Deseret Book, 40 E. South Temple, through Monday, when they hope to ship everything to Virginia. For more information, call Deseret Book at 328-8191.

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E-mail: twalquist@desnews.com