Thursday was a special day on the west side steps of the Wood County courthouse – a solemn and meaningful Veterans Day program for several local armed forces members.

Stitchin’ Heaven presented its annual “Quilts of Valor” program, which involves wrapping quilts around area veterans and presenting a program honoring them. 

Stitchin’ Heaven owner and founder Deb Luttrell said, “It is a privilege each year to honor those who have sacrificed so much to protect our freedoms. A Quilt of Valor is just one small way for us to say, ‘Thank-You’ for your service to each one of us and this nation.” 

Suzanne DiCarlo of Mineola led the program. DiCarlo is passionate and supportive of the mission which she has helped become a reality.

“Our mission at the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing quilts. The foundation is a group of quilters across the nation,” DiCarlo explained. “I have seen this and have been doing it for 17 years. In 2003, a Blue Star mother had the idea of offering comfort to her soldier son and his colleagues when they were deployed to Iraq. Since that time, we have awarded 286,178 Quilts of Valor across the nation.”

DiCarlo talked about the beginnings of “Quilts of Valor” efforts.

“We started out awarding the quilts on the battlefield, hospitals along with medi-vac planes and veterans centers and facilities. The majority have been done through personal contacts like we are doing today,” DiCarlo noted.

“Our foundation represents one human being reaching out and touching another one without any judgment. We consider our quilts as civilian awards to bestow upon a service member or veteran. We want to honor you for your service, we live in awe as you stand in harm’s way during a time of crisis to protect us from the effects of war.”