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Wisconsin girl knits blankets for ailing vets

KIMBERLY, Wis. (AP) - Snuggled in a hand-tied fleece blanket, a female veteran with terminal cancer prepared for takeoff Christmas Eve from Austin Straubel International Airport on what likely would be her last flight home.

And she smiled.

Aubree Leitermann, 10, of Kimberly, also smiled later that evening, knowing she had warmed the woman's heart with a blanket she made.

"I saw a picture of her with my blanket and it was ... her favorite color," she said.

Aubree has made more than 150 blankets for veterans using Express Air Medical Transport service out of Green Bay and Tampa, Florida. The Mapleview Intermediate School fifth-grader got the idea while listening to her great-aunt Jill Hanson, flight coordinator with the transport company, share stories about the veterans they serve.

Express Air Medical Transport service flies recovering veterans home as well as veterans going home to die, said Brian Saunders, pilot-in-training and director of the company's Midwest sales and marketing.

"You're doing your part for the family and for them," Saunders said.

Aubree wanted to do the same. "We just thought (the blankets) would help them feel safe and comfortable and feel more happy on their flight, too," she told Post-Crescent Media (http://post.cr/1Cf3l37).

Aubree initially made four blankets in November.

"We took a picture of her with one blanket and a jar (asking for donations) and posted it on my Facebook page," said Aubree's mother, Nicole Leitermann. "I said, 'Aubree would make more blankets if we got more donations.' And the next morning people starting giving her more money."

A $250 donation came from Robin Heier, 32, of Kimberly, who works in customer service and is a member of Thrivent Financial. He was so impressed with his niece's idea, he wanted to do more through Thrivent's Action Team program, which awards $250 to members wanting to start a project.

"It was nice because it kind of gave us a springboard knowing we could get ... the ball rolling," Heier said. "All the funds went to purchasing the materials, the fabric itself ... which we just got last week. To see her so passionate has really been something special to be a part of."

Financial donations continue to trickle in from across the country from people viewing Aubree's Blankets for Veterans Facebook page.

A blanket takes 45 minutes to make, but Aubree hasn't done it completely on her own. Her mother and father, Steve, work together to assemble blankets. Friends from Footworks Dance Company in Darboy and extended family also help.

Once a blanket is completed, a tag is attached that reads: "Thank you for your service to our country. Here is a small token of appreciation for you to enjoy."

Aubree is humble about the project.

"She's just happy to do it," Hanson said.

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Information from: Post-Crescent Media, http://www.postcrescent.com

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