The Sugar River QOV presented Thomas E. Neath an honorary 300,000th Quilts of Valor® on August 5, 2022. This honorary quilt celebrates an important milestone of 300,000th Quilts of Valor®, the total number of quilts made and awarded by Quilts of Valor Foundation® (QOVF) groups and members to Veterans and Service Members touched by war. Members across the U.S. have awarded 300,000 quilts total since the foundation was started in 2003.

QOVF awarded the 300,000th quilt in early April 2022. To celebrate this milestone, QOVF Groups have been encouraged to award an honorary 300,000 quilt in their community. Sugar River QOV from Belleville's local group have chosen Thomas E. Neath to receive this honorary quilt. Thomas served in the US Navy from 1986 until 1993. He is active in the Belleville American Legion. The award was presented at the Sugar River Senior Center on Vine Street, Belleville.

Sugar River QOV is one of over 600 QOVF groups and quilt stores that create quilts and award them to Veterans touched by war. QOVF's mission is to cover Service Members and Veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor. These quilts are awarded during ceremonies where Veterans are honored for their service. QOVF has almost 10,000 members who make and award over 30,000 quilts a year.

QOVF was founded in 2003 by Catherine Roberts, who had a dream where a Soldier who was distressed was comforted by a quilt. This dream was the inspiration and basis for a Quilt of Valor®. Roberts began a grassroots efforts enlisting volunteers to create and award Quilts of Valor® that has grown into a national movement today. More information about QOVF can be found at https://www.qovf.org.

Sugar River QOV started in 2014, and has been making and awarding quilts to local Veterans for eight years. The group invites any interested volunteers that would like to help make quilts, coordinate award ceremonies, or donate to the group to contact Sue LeVan-Green at qovlevangreen@gmail.com.