APPLEBEE'S DINE TO DONATE

On February 2, 2012, APPLEBEE'S restaurants owned by Wisconsin Hospitality Group will be participating in a Dine to Donate event to support the Camo Quilt Project. Applebee's will donate 15% of the total of your Guest Check for all redeemed flyers (applicable on food and non-alcoholic beverages, tax and tip not included). The donation is given only when a Dine to Donate Flyer is presented when you dine at any Applebee's listed on the flyer anytime on February 2nd. You must bring the flyer to Applebee's. It will not be available at the restaurant. The Dine to Donate flyer for the Camo Quilt Project is available to download by clicking here.

How Many of These Have You Made?

15,365 of our camouflage quilts have been made and distributed to our troops! That's a lot of our brave men and women that now have a bit of comfort during their deployment and have been encouraged knowing that people "back home" have not forgotten them. Each quilt takes about 3 hours to make so that is at least 46,095 volunteer hours!

We currently have about 400 quilts ordered and need your help to get these quilts made and sent as soon as possible. More volunteers are needed to make the quilts and more contributions are needed to cover the cost of the fabric and batting. Your involvement either by volunteering time or with financial contributions is greatly appreciated.

Equipment and Materials Wishlist

Can you help? If you can donate or help us find any of the items, contact Linda at linda.camoquilt@gmail.com.

Janome Sewing Machines - We are looking for heavy duty machines with a top loading, jam free, bobbin. The Janome Memory Craft6600 with the built in walking foot is amazing! We have several at our facility in Plymouth, but could use several more for our satellite facilities in Milwaukee, Janesville, Fredonia, West Bend and Mayville.

Warm & Natural Batting - 100% Cotton.  A 40yd bolt of 45" wide costs about $100 plus shipping costs.  One bolt is enough for 20 quilts.  We use over 24 bolts a month!

CQP on NBC Nightly News Website

NBC News has advised us that they will NOT be airing the segment on the Camo Quilt Project.  They have, however, posted the report on their website and have released the report to their affiliates.  You can view the report at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/. You will need to go to "Latest Programs" and scroll down until you find the report about our project.  Linda Wieck, founder and designed of the quilt, has received MANY calls and emails from all across the U.S. letting her know they have seen the report on their local station.

CQP - Benefit Dinner a Success!

The Chicken & Beef Tips dinner that was held at Laack's Hall on November 17, 2011 was a big success. We served 457 people. A special THANK YOU to the 14 National Honor Society members from Plymouth Middle School who helped serve our guests beverages and bussed tables for us. We also thank the kitchen staff at Laack's Hall for preparing delicious food and having everything so well organized.

Besides the dinner, we had a Silent Auction, a Bucket Raffle, 50/50 raffles and 12 Bottles of Kessler's were raffled off.

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Missed the Dinner? You can still donate to the project
by clicking on the Donate Button below,
or sending a donation to:

Franklin Legion Post # 387
c/o Steven Bender

N7417 Bittersweet Rd

Plymouth, WI 53073

SOLDIER GIVES A PERSONAL THANKS

Nothing motivates our volunteers more than having someone who received a camo quilt stop into our workshop to say thank you.  This happened a couple months ago.  LTC Robert Grierson and his family were travelling from their home town, Dubuque IA, to vacation in northern WI.  Their travel plans included stopping in Plymouth WI to visit the Camo Quilt Project.  Robert and his family happened to stop in just as Linda Wieck was leaving for the day.  Linda invited them in and The Grierson Family was given a grand tour of the workshop.  LTC Grierson was especially thankful for receiving his quilt while serving in Afghanistan.  He told Linda, "It was the only piece of bedding I had for half my tour".  Hugs, tears and thank yous were shared before this special family were on their way again.

Although the Griersons arrived at the Camo Quilt Project after the volunteers had left for the day, Linda was sure to let our volunteers know they came and how grateful LTC Grierson was to have a camo quilt.  Having that visit is really an encouragement to keep on cutting, sewing and sending the quilts to our young men and women serving in the Middle East.

CQP - Award Winning!

The Camo Quilt Project has received the Make A Difference Day award.  Created by USA WEEKEND Magazine, Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October.  Thanks to Connie Nelson, a volunteer from the Milwaukee Area CQP, we registered to be part of this great event.  CQP volunteers working in 4 states completed about 130 quilts on October 23, 2010.  We also registered to be considered for a $10,000 Make A Difference Day Award from Newman's Own---and WE WON! The award is given to 10 projects who participate in MADD.

This award comes at just the perfect time---when we have been very short on funds.  Lately the CQP has had to delay purchasing batting until enough donations came in.  $10,000 sounds like a lot of money (and it is!) but each month the project needs about $10,000-$12,000 to purchase the fabric, batting and other supplies needed to make the quilts.

Winning this award is a great honor for the CQP volunteers.  We ARE making a difference in the lives of our military. Even though we cannot give a quilt to everyone in the armed services (we only give them to those deployed in the Middle East), our military personnel will hear about the project and know we care.  That is what we are about---WE CARE and SUPPORT our military.  God bless you all.