ST. GEORGE — Inspired by the kindness she received as a veteran, a woman recruited volunteers and local businesses to celebrate National Sew Day in honor of U.S. military veterans Saturday.

The project, known as Quilts of Valor, is a nationwide charity that promotes the creation and distribution of quilts for veterans.

“People all across the country are putting together quilt tops for Quilts of Valor that are given to military veterans,” Ellen Franck, the organizer of the St. George event, said.

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This was the first Quilts of Valor to take place in the St. George area.

“I think we’ve had a wonderful turnout for the first time we’ve done this,” Franck said.

More than a dozen women showed up to donate their time and money to the cause. They expected to complete about 15 quilt tops by the end of the day to be distributed to local veterans.

“I am a veteran who received a quilt of valor a few years ago myself,” Frank said, explaining her inspiration for the project.

“When I found out about the sew day, I thought ‘well, let’s do a little payback.’”

Franck works at Superior Threads, which donated materials for the project. Several other businesses joined the effort with donations, including Ace Hardware, Main Street Quilt Cottage, Clover Patch, Quilted Works, Fad Fabrics and Smith’s Food and Drugstore.

“I’m not a quilter, but I am today,” Franck said. “These people are the most generous giving souls that I’ve come across.”

The Quilts of Valor Foundation began in 2003 when founder Catherine Roberts’ son was deployed in Iraq. The first quilt was awarded in November 2003 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to a young soldier from Minnesota who had lost his leg in Iraq. Since then, the organization has awarded over 150,000 quilts.

St. George News’ Sheldon Demke contributed to this report.

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