We would like to introduce to you a crochet hero, Gay Hutson of Arizona. Gay is 82 and has been crocheting since she was 7 years old. For the past 15 years Gay has been crocheting for local charities, enlisting the help of her neighbors and community to help her with whatever they can.
Gay belongs to her local VFW hall and through them she got involved with a program called “Stand Down”, a nationwide organization that helps Veterans in need, especially homeless Veterans. The Stand Down program hosts events to provide essentials, such as food, clothing, counseling, blankets, and substance abuse help, as well as job placement assistance and legal help to Veterans. Gay got involved making lightweight mats out of recycled plastic bags to provide to go under sleeping bags for homeless Veterans, putting her neighbors to work helping her fold and cut plastic grocery bags to make "plarn"; once they make "plarn", Gay and other crocheters crochet it into 4 ft by 6 ft mats and attach straps to make them easier to carry. She also makes hats, each with a prayer attached, for military men and women.They receive them upon deployment.
Gay's favorite charities are the Soroptomist International Club and the “Catch it Early” Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation.The Soroptomist International of Lake Havasu, AZ sponsors The Soroptomist Club at the local high school, it is a volunteer organization for young, business-minded women with the goal to provide service and charity in the community, with a focus on improving the lives of women and children. They offer scholarships and Gay donates items to this charity and they raffle them off for funds for the program.
Her other favorite charity to donate to is the”Catch it Early” Program at the Kingman Medical Center; a program that focuses on detecting breast cancer early and fighting it early. Gay crocheted a pink and purple afghan using the Mary Maxim pattern Hope Afghan and donated them to this program. They sold raffle tickets for these two beautiful works of art and brought in over $5000 to the program. This money will be able to help save lives by offering free mammograms to those without insurance in her local area. Early detection is a key to saving lives.
Gay does all this out of the kindness of her heart, it makes her feel good to contribute to her community and to give back in any way she can. She crochets items up for her neighborhood wine night, and her friends love to brag about her crochet skills. Gay also makes it a point to make gifts for her neighbors when they are expecting new grandchildren. She is always thinking about others. This is why Gay is our crochet hero. Do you know someone who is an inspiration in the crafting world? Email their contact info and story to info@marymaxim.com and they may be our next feature!
