‘Quilts of Valor’ exhibit continues through Dec. 19

WASILLA — The Dorothy G. Page Museum will play host again this year to the annual Quilts of Valor Foundation and Forget Me Not Quilters show celebrating Veterans Day.

“Quilts of Valor Exhibit: An effort to spread a quilt of love and thanks around those who have served or been touched by war,” is on display at the downtown Wasilla museum through Dec. 19 at 323 N. Main St.

The display opened Nov. 5 with a sewing bee and quilt presentation at the museum.

Linda Kau, Alaska regional coordinator for Quilts of Valor Foundation, signed up with the national program in 2004, about a year after Catherine Roberts, a Delaware mother with a son deployed to Iraq, founded the organization.

Carol Saunders, leader of the local Forget Me Not Chapter Quilters of Alaska, and Kau led the presentation of the 99th quilt this year to Wasilla service member Damon Ezell.

Ezell said his wife Anna nominated him to receive a quilt after seeing a display at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center where she works.

“He appreciates it,” Anna said. “But he feels like there are people who are way more deserving.”

Damon seconds her sentiment, saying even his wife whose brother was killed in Iraq in 2003 deserves the honor more than he does.

Kau said the group has given about 250 quilts directly to Valley veterans and the sentiment is almost always the same.

“’Thank you, but I have a dozen friends who deserve this more,’” she said.

She said the goal is to give away 130 to 150 quilts in the Valley before the end of the year. Nationwide, more than 108,000 quilts have been sewn and shared with U.S. service members, according to a counter on the group’s website. People also can apply for a quilt, nominate someone for a quilt, donate cash or volunteer via the website, qovf.org.

Although local volunteers have shared an average of 100 quilts a year, they always need more, Kau said. To that end the group meets on the second Thursday of each month to quilt at St. Michaels church in Palmer. They also organize other sewing bees around the Valley from time to time and offer demonstration classes to help others learn the art.

“That’s pretty much what we are doing tonight,” Kau said, signaling to a table in the center of the museum set up with sewing machines and materials for quilting.

The program was offered as part of “Wednesday Night at the Museum,” which continues from 5 to 7 p.m., weekly with various events.

For more information, visit qovf.org, or contact Kau at (907) 864-0770 or lindak@qovf.org.

Contact Heather A. Resz at 352-2268 or heather.resz@frontiersman.com.