Woodcraft Invites Turners to Make Pens for Military Personnel

PHOTO: Elijah Chaudhry turns a pen during the 2016 Turn for Troops National Turn-a-Thon as Brian Coppotelli, Woodcraft of West Atlanta assistant manager, watches.

Join Woodcraft in saying thank you to military personnel on active duty and recovering in rehabilitation centers by turning a wood pen during the 14th Turn for Troops National Turn-a-Thon on Veterans Day weekend, Nov. 10-11.

During the past 13 turn-a-thons, volunteer turners of all ages have crafted 146,118 one-of-a-kind wood pens – 13,720 of them in 2016. Woodcraft provides tools and supplies for volunteer turners, who are encouraged to include a personal thank-you note with each pen. These personal messages may also include details such as the wood used to make the pen.

To participate in this national event, contact the Woodcraft store nearest you for more details. If you have never turned a pen but would like to participate in the turn-a-thon, check with your local Woodcraft store about whether first-time pen turning instructions will be provided the day of the turn-a-thon. 

You can also check out two Woodworking Adventures blogs that include instructions for how to turn pens: Pen Turning 101 and A Great Start for Basic Pen Turning.

“Woodcraft is again depending on the hundreds of volunteers who show up each year to turn the beautiful pens that say ‘thank you’ in a very personal way to the military men and women who continue to keep the United States safe, while making tremendous sacrifices in their personal lives,” president Jody Garrett said. “If you have never participated in our Turn for Troops program, we encourage you to join us this year at a Woodcraft store near you.”

4,840 Pens from Woodcraft Turn-a-Thon Go to USS George H. W. Bush Crew 

PHOTO: Commander Ed Fosatti – HSM 70 passes out handmade wood pens from the 2016 Woodcraft Turn-a-Thon to the crew on the USS H.W. Bush aircraft carrier.

Thirty-five percent of the 13,720 pens turned in 2016 – 4,840 – were sent to the USS George H. W. Bush aircraft carrier where they were passed out to the crew at the beginning of a seven-month deployment.

“Thank you for the wonderful—and enormously generous—gift you recently sent to the crew of the USS George H.W. Bush from the ‘Turn for Troops’ initiative,” Capt. Will Pennington wrote in a thank-you letter. After the pens were given out to the crew, Capt. Pennington observed, “I have seen them all over our ship, and the Sailors are extremely appreciative.”

One of the sailors who sent thank-you notes wrote:
“I am currently deployed aboard the USS George HW Bush and holding one of your fine handmade wooden pens. I just want to thank you, sincerely, for your generous gift.  Good American companies like yours, and the people who work there are a true blessing to our military. Not just because you’ve supplied us with pens, but simply because you’ve taken the time to express your support for the troops…”