COVERED IN LOVE: Fifteen of the community’s veterans were gifted handmade quilts, decorated in the red white and blue they had fought to protect.

TIFTON — Veterans of the community left the ABAC chapel the afternoon of Nov. 4 wrapped not only in the quilts of the Wiregrass Quilt Guild, but the words of gratitude for their service from its members.

Fifteen of Tift County’s veterans were gifted hand-crafted quilts from the quilt guild this past weekend, tokens of thanks for their dedication to their country and service in the line of duty.

Held in the Chapel of All Faiths on the campus of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, veterans were escorted to the front of the hall throughout the ceremony by members of the Tift County JROTC program to receive their personally made quilts, which were draped over them, and a certificate declaring their receipt of the quilt.

“We were hoping to be able to honor at least seven to eight this first time that we’ve done it, but we were able to have fifteen veterans there to be awarded with quilts,” said Michelle Seagroves, chair of the Quilts of Valor Foundation Committee for the Wiregrass Quilt Guild. “We were very excited that it turned out to be bigger than we had anticipated.”

Food and drink were provided after the ceremony as well.

This presentation was a part of the efforts of the Quilts of Valor Foundation, a nonprofit that the Wiregrass Quilt Guild is a member of that honors and thanks veterans and active military personnel with handmade quilts.

The local quilt guild has been a member of the nonprofit for the past year due to the desire of guild president Foley Harper to honor and respect the veterans of the community, including some of her own family members.

Veterans that participated in the Wiregrass Quilt Guild’s ceremony were chosen by members of the quilt guild or through the nomination system of the Quilts of Valor Foundation, which allows citizens to nominate friends and family for recognition, who will then be paired with a quilt guild in their area.

The local quilting guild reported that they were already working on plans for a future presentation to continue honoring the community’s veterans, and hoped to make the ceremony a biannual event.

As of now, they stated that the next ceremony will be slated for March, and will be held once again at the ABAC chapel.