Theft of veterans quilt draws ire, tears

Courtesy photo Brenda Thompson and Billy McDaniel stand next to a quilt that was to be raffled on Veterans Day, with all funds to aid veterans locally. Thompson made the quilt for veteran McDaniel, who then donated it to the Sampson County Veterans Council. With hundreds of raffle tickets already sold, and many expressing interest in what veterans service officer Ann Knowles called the “most gorgeous quilt you will ever see,” the quilt was stolen last Thursday.

Theft of veterans quilt draws ire, tears
By Chris Berendt
Sampson Independent - Clinton,NC,USA
Wednesday, August 27, 2008 8:31 AM CDT
CLINTON — Three months of hard work, a gift from one man to his fellow soldiers and money that could possibly go to feed or house a local American veteran in dire need of it were all lost with a simple senseless act in broad daylight last week.

“To me, every veteran, every widow and every active duty service man and woman in Sampson County were vandalized,” said Ann Knowles, service officer for the agency.

She explained that an elaborately-crafted quilt to be raffled off on Veterans Day this year was stolen in the middle of the day Thursday, and money from 700 raffle tickets already sold will now have to be refunded.

“They stole a quilt that had been quilted and donated, and some electronic equipment that can be replaced,” Knowles said. “But you can’t replace the quilt.”
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