Students at Hurt Park Elementary got a warm and toasty treat this past Monday from a group of “knitting ladies” in the community who donated handmade sweaters to each and every student at the school just in time for the cold winter season. The gift of sweaters to the children has become an annual event, which is the culmination of a year’s worth of knitting or crocheting on the part of community volunteers.
Anne Quinley heads up the group, along with her friend Adele Frischman who both once knitted for the Guideposts magazine knitting project. After some years of mailing in their wares to Guideposts, the ladies decided it would be nice to contribute to the local community. Quinley’s husband volunteered as a mentor at Hurt Park and she knew it would be a perfect fit. The kids, numbering at about 280, get to choose their sweaters, and also receive a hat or scarf to go with it.
Quinley said “it is such a rewarding thing – to see those little children who really appreciate their new sweaters.” She laughs as she says how they “really like the brightly colored ones.”
Quinley located a yarn manufacturer who donates their second-hand yarn to the project so volunteers only provide the expertise – there is no cost involved. The group is in need of additional knitters; to help out contact Anne Quinley at (540) 774-3654.