Azalea Quilters Guild honors veterans at Festival

During Brookings’ Azalea Festival this year, Quilts of Valor were presented at the 39th annual Azalea Quilt Show, held by the Azalea Quilters Guild.

The Quilt of Valor Foundation is a national nonprofit organization, whose mission is to cover service members and veterans touched by war. The quilts are meant to convey thanks to veterans for their sacrifice.

The foundation was started in 2003 by Catherine Roberts, through word of mouth and the internet, the organization spread across the country. Since 2003 they have awarded over 393,000 quilts nationwide.

Azalea quilters first started by making the QOV quilts for the Eugene QOV chapter to present. But in 2017, they decided to become a Brookings chapter and present to our local veterans. They have presented every year since, doing porch presentations during COVID.

Making and presenting these quilts is one way the guild and our community can thank veterans for all they have done.

Veterans honored this year were Frank Begley, Don Bemis, Robert Bents, Kirt Bliss, Willy Bradley, Jeffrey Brazil, Gary Brownell, James Forbes, Al Granados, Kris Hayne, Nichole Lensgraf, Shane Lensgraf and Robert Matthess.

For more information, go to QOVf.org.

To nominate a Veteran, contact Roger Thompson or Janet Walsh at (520) 437-2610