Alzada school students and teachers create holiday blankets for veterans

In the spirit of giving back this holiday season, students and teachers at Alzada School have been hard at work crafting fleece blankets to show appreciation for the men and women who have served our country. For Christmas this year, the school community embarked on a project to create warm, handmade blankets for the residents of the VA Nursing Home at Fort Meade in Sturgis, South Dakota.

The students used two creative methods to make the blankets: knotting and braiding. With each blanket, they combined two pieces of soft fleece fabric, cutting the material into strips, and either tying or braiding the strips together to create cozy, colorful blankets.

The school was grateful to receive generous donations to support the project. Fabric for the blankets was kindly donated by local residents Thebea Thomas, Esther Watkins, and Jody Courtney. Additionally, Rhonda Hendrickson, a local volunteer, donated her time to teach the students how to craft the blankets, ensuring the project ran smoothly and efficiently.

Claire Courtney, one of the students involved, expressed her enjoyment of the process. "I did two braided blankets and it was a lot of fun for me! I hope they like the blankets," she said.

Lenon Thomas, another student participant, was proud of the results. "The blankets turned out really pretty!"

The school plans to deliver the completed blankets to the VA Nursing Home in Sturgis, where they will provide warmth and comfort to the veterans who call the facility home. The project was a labor of love, and while it required hard work and dedication, the students and teachers found joy in knowing their efforts would make a meaningful difference.

In a time when community spirit and kindness are more important than ever, Alzada School's blanket-making project has shown how a small community can come together to support those who have served.