NORWICH – It was sad when Karen Kamsoke's nephew Kurt Buchta, currently deployed to Afghanistan as a company commander of 71 soldiers, was told about 13 of his soldiers who don't get anything from home. Then Kurt asked Karen if she would consider adopting these 13 soldiers by sending packages and letters, etc. and could she possibly make some quilts for them. Karen, not thinking of the time frame and work, said "of course."

When Karen realized what she had commited to and didn’t want to let her nephew down, she contacted her quilting friends for help. They often work on quilts at Sew Nice in Norwich, owned by Diane Marvin. When Diane and the staff heard about the project, they were more than eager to assist. Diane put the word out about the project to quilters who might be attending a quilt retreat she was planning the following Veterans Day weekend and 75 women showed up. Hard to believe they now have 13 handmade quilts ready to be mailed.

Nancy Cody, one of the quilters working on the project, told her friend Rainy Collins-Vickers, Vice President of the McDonough Post 1478 Auxiliary, about the need to deal with the cost of handling and shipping to complete the project. Rainy immediately responded with, "That's what the American Legion does; help the men and women of the military." Rainy took the request for funding of the project to the next meeting. Judy Baker, the Unit President, was able to locate the full funding between American Legion, the Auxiliary, and the Sons of the American Legion (SAL), she has pulled together the full funding for the shipping. The packages should arrive before the holidays.

Karen & Diane are now thinking how this could be an ongoing project.For more information call Sew Nice 334-2477.