Attention knitters: Help keep local kids warm this winter

22nd Annual Crochet & Knit-A-Thon now underway

Submitted by Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops

Those who knit or crochet are invited to participate in the 22nd annual Crochet & Knit-A-Thon now through Dec. 12. The Crochet & Knit-A-Thon is part of Snug Hugs for Kids, which provides warm winter clothing for children served in Illinois by Children's Home & Aid.

Knitted or crocheted items should be sized to fit boys or girls, newborn to 18 years old, with the largest age group being newborn to 7-year-old children. Needed most are the following:

• Full size afghans or blankets

• Gloves, hats, and scarves

• Sweaters and slippers

• Baby items (sweaters, caps, layette sets and blankets)

Donations of handcrafted items can be:

• Mailed to the event's sponsor at Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops, 3815 E. Main St., Suite D, St. Charles, IL 60174

• Dropped off at any Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop in Illinois or Wisconsin; find one at merlins.com.

• Brought to the one day Crochet & Knit-A-Thon appreciation event Saturday, Dec. 1, at Resurrection Lutheran Church, 2567 W. Sullivan Road, in Aurora.

All volunteers are encouraged to register, especially those who will attend the Crochet & Knit-A-Thon event to spend time with fellow crafters and view the items being donated. Registration forms can be obtained by emailing wecare@merlins.com or by picking one up at select yarn shops in the Chicago area.

All donations help more than 40,000 children served each year by Children's Home & Aid, a leading provider of quality programs and services to families in need.

"Every year there are hundreds of families who need a little extra help in providing warm winter gear for their children," said Merlin's Marketing Director Penny McDowell said. "It helps them to be able to attend school, play outside, and also helps raise their esteem by having beautiful warm clothing to wear in the winter season.

"Both Children's Home & Aid and Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops are eternally grateful to the hundreds of volunteers who donate their talent, materials, and time to help this worthy cause."

Merlin franchisees, corporate staff and vendor partners will deliver the crafted items and other donations to Children's Home & Aid family centers in December. A fleet of Merlin vans and vendor trucks will form a caravan to deliver an anticipated nine tons of clothing gathered as a result of Snug Hugs for Kids.

Children's Home & Aid, a leading child and family service agency in Illinois, helps children recover their health, hope, and their faith in the people around them. Children's Home & Aid links children to a network of opportunity and care, to extended family, teachers, mentors, and the resources of the neighborhood and community.

For more than 130 years, the organization has gone wherever children and families need them, and where that work has been proven to be most effective: At home, in the classroom, in the neighborhood, in the course of daily life. The organization has offices located across Illinois and serves more than 40,000 children and families in over 60 counties each year. For information about Children's Home & Aid, visit childrenshomeandaid.org.

Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops offer a neighborhood approach to automotive service and provide both repair and maintenance services as well as tire replacement and tire services. For information, visit merlins.com.