Patriotism is alive and well at Manatee RV Park in Ruskin. Upon entering the park’s recreation hall Jan. 27, it could have easily been mistaken for a Fourth of July celebration. Every wall of the hall was adorned with red, white and blue-patterned quilts, all handmade by residents of the park. Their destination is into the arms of ailing veterans at Bay Pines VA Healthcare facility in Pinellas County.
Last week’s event was the culmination of the quilting club’s year-long labor of love. It was also an opportunity for residents and visitors to see the outstanding talent of the seamstresses through their displayed quilts.
For the past three years, residents have been creating patriotic quilt tops under the watchful eye of Nancy Sorsveen, the creator of the veterans quilt project at the park.
“We are so grateful to our servicemen and women,” said Sorsveen. “This is just a way to say ‘thank you for your service and sacrifice.’”
Completing the 25 quilts for this year’s presentation is quite an accomplishment considering most of the quilters are only part-time residents at the park.
“We’ve been working really hard,” said Sorsveen. “Once the tops are completed, we send them out to be quilted and backed. We are hoping to get a mid-arm quilting machine here at the park, then we can do everything in-house.”
Until the group raises enough money for its own mid-arm quilter, they rely on groups like Quilts of Valor and a very special volunteer in Tucker, Ga., named Fiona Lynch.
“I called Fiona and told her we had some tops to be finished,” said Sorsveen. “She did nine of them for us. She always comes through.”
Sorsveen’s quilting group meets on Tuesday mornings but the room is open every day to those wanting to use the sewing machines and other equipment provided by the park.
“Our park manager, Allen Shepard, is great,” said Sorsveen. “Three years ago he gave us the space we needed in the hall, and the park donated money to get this project started.”
Also contributing to the effort was a grant from the Matthew A. Knight Foundation. Knight was a 19-year-old Air Force Academy cadet who lost his life in an auto accident in 2001. His parents, Ron and Sandra Knight, started the foundation to reward those “who are quietly making the world a better place.” The foundation awards money for worthy projects and individuals, and also provides college scholarships. For more information, visit www.MatthewAKnightFoundation.org.
Manatee RV Park is located at 5050 Manatee Drive, just south of Ruskin on U.S. 41. For more information, call 813-645-7652 or visit www.manateeRVpark.com.
Craft Fair
The park will host a craft fair on Saturday, March 12, which will have more than 40 vendors. There will also be raffles for — you guessed it — handmade quilts.