Fast Facts:
Izard County 4-H Sewing Club members presented 16 lap quilts to veterans
Ceremony at Ozarka College campus in Melbourne welcomed veterans and families
Sewing Club members worked with local Extension Homemakers on project
MELBOURNE — To recognize veterans for their sacrifice and service, Izard County 4-H Sewing Club members worked with Extension Homemakers Council members to create 16 Quilts of Valor. They presented the lap quilts to local veterans in a ceremony at Ozarka College on Nov. 1.
“This project for 4-H is all about community service,” said Elizabeth Daigle, Izard County extension family and consumer sciences agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “This group of kids improved their basic knowledge by learning to sew better, they had a good time with their friends and at the end of the day, they made this gesture of honor and recognition to local veterans, showing how much 4-H appreciates our community.”
Daigle said the process of designing and creating the quilts spanned several months. Sewing Club members assembled kits containing red, white and blue fabric along with sewing instructions, and they worked closely with Izard County EHC members to create them.
“For our Extension Homemakers, this is their passion,” Daigle said. “They want to educate the kids and show them how you can have a skill and make it grow. The EHC members showed the kids, ‘Let’s try to make this a little straighter, let’s iron this, let’s pay attention to how we lay our colors out,’ so there was a lot of hands-on demonstration of knowledge.”
Members of the Sewing Club range in age from six to 15 years old. During the ceremony, each club member presented a Quilt of Valor to a veteran nominated by the community. Daigle said five men shared stories of experiences during their service, including during the Vietnam War.
“One of the gentlemen said that all he could think about was getting home to make sure his family was safe,” Daigle said. “I think these children got to see an important perspective from these gentlemen. Through this meaningful project, they learned the importance of service and respect for those who have sacrificed for our freedom.”
Veterans honored in the Quilt of Valor ceremony include Victor Dann, Darrell Douglas, Rayburn Finley, Larry Garner, Larry Lee, Ronny Loggains, Harold Marlin, Michael McSpadden, Gary Morrison, Kerry Sharp, Greg Tate, Charles Voyles, Donald Walker, Darrell Webb, James Wood and Alvin Wooten.
“This project, fostering community service and civic engagement, is a testament to the mission of 4-H in nurturing responsible, compassionate citizens,” Daigle said.
Daigle said the EHC members are the backbone of the project, which began in 2023.
“I’m hopeful we can continue this next year,” Daigle said. “I just feel like it’s such a community-minded event. Our service men and women are often overlooked, and they’ve given everything they’ve got.”
