Three Tours quilt raffle benefits veterans through May 29

Impressed by Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club’s Flags for Heroes program benefiting local veterans, members of the Ocean Waves Quilt Guild decided to donate a quilt to aid the club’s fundraising efforts.

The guild selected a patriotic-themed quilt pattern called Three Tours for its next project. The pattern was created by quilt designer and quilt store owner Joseph Robertson to commemorate the three tours of duty served by his nephew Eric with the Iowa National Guard – two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. This story spoke to the heard of guild quilters who turned this patriotic design into two 70-by-74-inch quilts – one to raffle to benefit a local emergency medical services organization and the other to donate to Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club as a fundraiser in its efforts to help veterans.

Members of Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club met with American Legion Auxiliary Unit 28 members to see if they were interested in working together to run a raffle for the quilt.  Auxiliary past president and current Membership Chair Cindy Phillips and her colleague June Jones jumped at the opportunity. A raffle was put in motion with proceeds going to support the following auxiliary causes in support of local veterans: troop boxes, VA clinic and counseling center in Georgetown, Delaware Veterans Home in Milford, Home of the Brave in Milford, Veterans Administration Hospital in Elsmere, Shepherd’s Office, and veterans in Renaissance and Atlantic Shores, as well as scholarships for high school seniors.

Raffle tickets are being sold through Saturday, May 29, for $5 each and five for $20; they may be purchased at the American Legion Post 28, 31768 Legion Road, Millsboro, and online at tinyurl.com/2p94wwvn. The winning ticket will be drawn at the Memorial Day Service starting at 11 a.m., Monday, May 30, at the Legion Post 28.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 28 to raise funds to support our local veterans,” said Apryl Parcher, Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club president. “The proceeds from our Flags for Heroes program held each year for Veterans Day are earmarked to support our local veterans, and this quilt raffle will substantially increase our impact on these important causes. Having local organizations such as the auxiliary and quilt guild partner with us to support our veterans is extremely gratifying and is so representative of the level of community service evident in Sussex County.”