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More quilts heading overseas to soldiers

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Photo by Dan Lassiter

Barbara Braden

LAKE GENEVA — Barbara Braden is at it again.

The Lake Geneva woman for more than two years has led a local effort to outfit local servicemen and women serving overseas with camouflage quilts. Ladies from the Lake Geneva unit of the American Legion Auxiliary and the surrounding community have sewn about 500 quilts to fulfill requests from local soldiers.

Braden and her team recently had stopped sewing and sending care packages to soldiers and their comrades stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. But Braden earlier this year learned a local man was headed overseas for his fourth tour of duty and wanted dozens of quilts for the soldiers in his unit.

“His mother asked him if he needed any quilts,” she recalled. “He said he needed a whole bunch of them.”

Daniel Zientek, son of David and Lyn Zientek of Lake Geneva, requested 120 quilts—enough for his whole unit, which is stationed high in the mountains in Afghanistan.

Servicemen and woman use the quilts, made of government-approved tear-proof camouflage fabric, for sleeping instead of the bulky, warm military-issued sleeping bags; as pads, pillows and shades; and as cushions on bumpy rides.

Braden had more than 30 quilts leftover from a previous sewing effort and about a week ago sent them along with boxes of wet wipes and toilet paper. She has contacted Linda Wieck of Plymouth, founder of the Camo Quilt Project, to arrange for the other 90 quilts to be made.

Braden now is soliciting donations to cover the cost of materials and shipping for the quilts as well as other care items. The Lake Geneva Lions Club has donated $1,000, and several local businesses have donated boxes of wet wipes.

But Braden still needs more.

“I can’t say no to a serviceman,” she said. “This is such an easy project (for the community) to do.”

Braden said she will continue arranging for quilts to be sewn as long as people keep donating money to the project—even if she collects enough to complete the most recent request for quilts. She said the money will be put to good use no matter when it comes in.