Blankets of Hope Marathon in Bowie, MD generates 242 hand made blankets for wounded and ill service members at Landstuhl hospital

180 volunteers made 242 Blankets of Hope for wounded and ill service members medevaced to Landstuhl hospital in Germany from Iraq and Afghanistan. The "Blankets of Hope Marathon" was created by Soldiers' Angels Lisa Dodson and Matt Dick and took place at the Ascension Church Hall in Bowie, MD on Septemnber 20, 2008. The blankets will be provided to patients by the Soldiers' Angels volunteers at Landstuhl hospital in Germany.

For the third year (see previous story), the community around Bowie, MD gathered at the Ascension Church Hall to make "Blankets of Hope" for wounded and ill service members medevaced from Iraq and Afghanistan to Landstuhl hospital in Germany. The blankets will be sent to the Soldiers' Angels chapter at Landstuhl for distribution to the patients.

"We need to thank so many people", said Lisa Dodson. "The list to thank is soooo long, but you just don't pull off something this big without tons of help.

Four of us organized the event, so I would like to thank them: Maureen Barber, Valerie Potter, and of course my husband, Matt Dick."

The entire community participated in the event. Donations of goods and services were received from:

The American Legion Post #66
Sons of the American Legion
The Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion
Val Pak of South-Eastern MD
The Bowie Blade News
Bowie City Hall
Arc Water Treatment
Shapiro and Duncan, Inc.
UPS of Bowie
Giant at Freestate Mall
Jimmy Marcos of TJ Elliotts
The Thompsons at Old Bowie Town Grille
Nicholson Masonry
Share and Care of Ascension Church
Mr. Jim Hossick and the Bowie Lions Club

Donations were also received from many individuals.

Dodson's friend Nancy Freeman and her "card buddies" created 200 beautiful handmade cards to attach to the blankets.

"Only problem was that we needed more, who would have guessed?" said Dodson. "Our goal was to break last years record of 168, and boy did we!"

"And last but not least, I would like to thank Ann Powell who grilled all the hamburgers and hotdogs for the hungry volunteers. It took her hours to get us all fed!"


Four Girl Scout troops and their friends were represented. Here's just some of the young people who participated in the Blankets of Hope Marathon for patients at Landstuhl military hospital in Germany.

Bernadette and her group drove all the way from Aberdeen Proving Ground to take part in the Blankets of Hope Marathon in Bowie, MD. If you look closely you can see the angels on their blanket.

A familiar face: Mrs. Bates (in pink) came back for a second year to encourage her daughters making Blankets of Hope for wounded and ill service members medevaced to Landstuhl hospital in Germany.

Lisa and Matt's daughter Kylie with the blanket pile. That was only about 75% of the 242 Blankets of Hope made by 180 volunteers at the Marathon in Bowie, MD on September 20, 2008. The blankets will be sent to Soldiers' Angels in Germany, where they will be distributed to OIF/OEF patients at Landstuhl military hospital.

Duelling scissors: Lisa Dodson on the left (she didn't want me to use a photo of her but I loved it) with Stacey Cleveland. Stacey brought her husband, two daughters, and her sister to the Blankets of Hope Marathon.

It's a family affair spanning 3 generations: Here's Lisa's Mom Donna Dodson.

Art and Brenda McKinney, members of Ascension Church's Folk Group, making blankets for patients at Landstuhl military hospital in Germany. Art was one of just 7 brave male souls sure enough in his masculinity to wield the scissors for a good cause! (Single men might wish to take note of the opportunities here... )

Guess who? Our own fellow milbogger and Soldiers' Angel Lisa-in-DC! Not only did Lisa make blankets, she also drummed up volunteers and donations by taking flyers and a sample blanket with her to the Pentagon's Freedom walk honoring 9/11 victims. Lisa blogged about the Marathon here.

Father Calis blessed the blankets before they were packed for shipment to Soldiers' Angels Germany, where they will be given to wounded and ill service members medevaced to Landstuhl hospital from Iraq and Afghanistan. We would like to thank Father Calis for providing the use of Ascension Church Hall in Bowie, MD for the Blankets of Hope Marathon.


The Blankets of Hope program was created by Soldiers' Angels to express our nation's love and support of service members recovering from illness or injury sustained in the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan. A blanket may not seem like much back home, but as a display of compassion and patriotism it can mean everything to a medevaced warrior far from home. To find out more, please visit the Soldiers' Angels website.

“Dear Angel,

I got shot in the foot and I got your blanket in a backpack… I do not mind going back to my unit knowing I am fighting for people like you... “

- An American Soldier