In a tribute to local veterans, Garden City Quilters of Augusta honored 10 service members with handmade quilts at a special ceremony in Evans.
Group leader Cassandra Love, whose father spent 40 years in the Army, said the quilts weren’t a gift, but an award.
“It’s a thank you,” she said, “to recognize what you have given up for our nation.”
Love said each quilter contributes of themselves to a quilt to be a source of gratitude and comfort to the veterans.
“We want you to snuggle up under it,” she said.
Garden City Quilters is a chapter of the Quilts of Valor Foundation, a national organization founded in 2003. The nonprofit has awarded more than 350,000 quilts to veterans and active-duty service members.
Gathered Saturday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12190, the veterans receiving quilts had served in several branches, conflicts and at locations all over the world.
Each of the veterans said a few words about his or her service and expressed appreciation for the quilts.
Vietnam vet Tracy Ford recalled reassuring his mother that he would return home from the war.
“The whole time I was in Vietnam, that was my goal,” he said. “I’m very glad to be here and receive this award.”
Navy veteran Dexter Ingram said his service opened up the world to him.
“I went places I thought I would never go. I met people I never thought I would meet,” he said.
Sabrina Sanchez said she came from a long line of veterans. But she’d joined at age 17 to rebel against her father.
“It was probably the best move of my life,” Sanchez said.
