The Milford Senior Center has a new, colorful way to give back.
The center is set to raffle off two barn quilts, measuring 4-by-4 feet and 3-by-3 feet, during its birthday meal Wednesday, Nov. 18. Raffle tickets are $10 each, with no limit on the number of tickets people can purchase.
The drawing will take place around noon, following the start of the meal, which begins at 11:45 a.m.
Milford Senior Center volunteer Mike Wiese organized the project through his monthly “Creating with Mike” events, held on the second Tuesday of each month. Participants gather at the center to make seasonal crafts, which are often used as decorations for the building.
“Everybody sits, visits and does the craft – there’s just a lot of socialization and keeping their mind creative by doing something like that, which they probably wouldn’t do at home,” Wiese said.
Around 20 people attended the quilt sessions, painting the pieces in September and assembling the quilts in October. One design was based on a quilt Wiese had seen and wanted to emulate, while the other was created by participants at the craft event.
“I thought, ‘What if we do a fundraiser and we all come together and make a project?’ and that’s where the barn quilts came about,” Wiese said. “I cut all the pieces, but then everybody else painted them all and glued them all and got them put together.”
They made the quilts with outdoor plywood and outdoor paint, then finished them with a weather-protecting coat. The center has displayed the finished quilts and has been selling raffle tickets since October.
Milford Senior Center Director Mystii Lauer enjoyed watching the different visions and creativity that participants brought to the sessions come together.
“It’s a great time for folks to get together to do things that maybe they don’t have the space for at home or, like me, don’t have the vision that Mike does and the creativity or the paints,” she said.
In addition to the two raffle quilts, the group made smaller quilts that are available for individual purchase, just in time for gift-giving season. About a dozen quilts are currently for sale at the center, with 2-by-2-foot quilts costing about $75 each and 12-by-12-inch quilts starting at $35.
The fundraiser will help the center cover rising costs for coffee, treats, entertainment and building upkeep. Wiese hopes to raise $1,000 through the project.
“We want to be able to get out and help our center but also show that we’re vibrant and we’re active, and this is a way that Mike found that was different than the other options for fundraisers,” Lauer said.
Lauer also hopes the raffle encourages new people to attend the center's birthday meal and enjoy the entertainment. Pizza Kitchen caters the monthly meals, and the center provides entertainment. November's entertainment will be music bingo with the Music Bingo People.
“You don’t have to be present to win, but we’d love to have you here to enjoy the meal and everything,” Wiese said.
