WHEATLAND — Platte County residents have always gone beyond in donating to causes that help others. However, in all the years of gathering items for Franklin Graham/Samaritan’s Purse/Operation Christmas Child (OCC), never has OCC received such a donation that came from the closing of the Quilt Whisperer.  

Marianne and Steve Stinnette went far beyond when they donated pins, thread, elastic, five bolts of flannel and 198 3-yard pieces of fabric for sewing kits for OCC. This donation totaled $10,000.   

When others were told about the Stinnette donation, $325 came in to purchase scissors, needles, tape measures, seam rippers and needle threaders to complete the 198 kits. 

As of last week, approximately 75 kits have been added to shoe boxes that are now making their way to children overseas. The balance will be stored for next year’s OCC project.  

As of Saturday, November 4, Wheatland Bible Church filled 488 shoeboxes that will go to the collection center at Memorial Baptist Church to be added to the donations by community numbers.  The boxes will go to Cheyenne, then on to Denver where every box will be checked to make sure the contents are acceptable to the customs laws for the foreign countries in which they will be distributed.