10 area veterans to be presented with Quilts of Valor

Quilts of Valor will be given to 10 U.S. military veterans in honor of their service on Monday, Nov. 14, at La Croix Church in Cape Girardeau. Each veteran who will receive a quilt was nominated by a member of the River Heritage Quilters' Guild. The nominating guild members crafted the quilts for the chosen veterans.

Each of the quilts were made using guidelines set by Quilts of Valor Foundation. According to the foundation's website, fabrics must be 100% cotton, and the quilts must be 55-by-65-inches minimum. Patterns and blocks can be of any design suitable for a patriotic theme, however, it is not mandatory for a quilt to be red, white and blue.

The idea for Quilts of Valor came to founder Catherine Roberts in a dream in 2003 while her son Nat was deployed in Iraq, according to the website.

On the website, Roberts states: "I saw a young man sitting on the side of his bed in the middle of the night, hunched over. The permeating feeling was one of utter despair. ... Then, as if viewing a movie, I saw him wrapped in a quilt. His whole demeanor changed from despair to one of hope and well-being. ... The message of my dream was: Quilts = Healing."

The first quilt was awarded in November 2003, and now, more than 300,000 veterans have received a Quilt of Valor. This is the sixth year the River Heritage Quilters' Guild has participated in creating and presenting quilts to veterans.

The website states a Quilt of Valor is a quality, handmade quilt awarded to a service member or veteran who has been touched by war. Roberts states the message of the quilt to veterans is, "Thank you for your service and sacrifice in serving our nation."

The presentation is open to everyone and will begin at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the church, 3102 Lexington Ave.