Partner with Woodcraft this Veterans Day to honor active duty military personnel and those in rehabilitation centers with one-of-a-kind writing instruments. Turn a wood pen during the 18th annual Woodcraft Turn for Troops National Turn-a-Thon on November 6 and 7. Contact your local Woodcraft store for details.
In 2020, despite the impact of COVID-19 on the annual event, volunteers turned 14,006 unique pens to bring the 17-year grand total to 204,615.
“Volunteers did a phenomenal job last year,” Woodcraft President Jack Bigger said. “Despite the limited number of in-person turn-a-thons due to COVID, these dedicated turners improvised to keep pens coming for military personnel. Hopefully, these faithful pen turners will partner with Woodcraft again this year – and recruit some friends.”
Veteran Turns 100 Pens – Jim Beaumont, a veteran US Army officer, gave the Pittsburgh Woodcraft store a jump start for its Turn for Troops event – he contributed 100 pens that he turned between April 17 and September 16.
A retired emergency nurse and former paramedic, Beaumont was researching woodturning in 2017, thinking he would like to learn the craft, when he discovered Woodcraft in Pittsburgh, which turned out to be about three miles from his home. When he first visited Woodcraft, it was the day of a pen turning class, so he decided to attend. After making three pens, Beaumont said he was hooked on woodturning. As a veteran, he decided he should participate in the Turn for Troops program.
Pen turning is easy to learn. Contact your local Woodcraft store to see about pen turning classes, or check out two Woodworking Adventures blogs on woodcraft.com – Pen Turning 101 and A Great Start for Basic Pen Turning.
Volunteer pen makers are encouraged to include notes with their pens.
In addition to thanking the military man or woman for their service, notes sometimes include the type of wood used to turn the pen and contact information for the maker.
Recipients sometimes answer the makers or send thank-you notes to Woodcraft.
Not Just a Writing Instrument – Why does Woodcraft continue to sponsor Turn for Troops after nearly two decades? A Marine gunnery sergeant offers an answer in this May 2021 note to Woodcraft: “I am an Active Duty Marine and was just gifted with one of your beautiful pens. I must tell you this brightened my day, and I look forward to using it. … Your generosity has had a larger impact on the morale of my unit than you realize. Thank you again and God Bless! Semper Fi.”
Requests for pens arrive at Woodcraft throughout the year, and Woodcraft personnel at the corporate office check with military contacts routinely about where to send pens. Sometimes stores will suggest where to send pens, and sometimes military personnel will reach out to Woodcraft after reading publicity about the annual event.
To find the Woodcraft store nearest to you, visit this link.
If you do not live near a local Woodcraft store, your local store is not participating, or you do not feel comfortable attending an in-store turn-a-thon, contact Lori Harper at Woodcraft corporate headquarters – 304-865-4107 or lori_harper@woodcraft.com. She will provide information and instructions for sending finished pens to the corporate office.
