AMELIA COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — An Amelia County woman has turned her love of owls into a passion project. She calls it Hoots for Troops.
Crystal Cawley takes donated uniforms and transforms them into rice-filled owls that can be used as heating or cooling pads.
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She’s spent hundreds of hours at her sewing machine in the hopes of creating comfort for our military.
“So they can put it on their aches and pains because they work so hard to keep us safe,” Cawley said of the owls, which she refers to as Hoots.
She’s made Hoots for active and retired military as well as their spouses. Cawley has never even met the majority of the people on the receiving end. A lot of her connections are made online.
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“I’ve had so many people message me, email or whatever that say they want one so bad because they have back pain or they have degenerative joint disease,” she said.
So far, Cawley has created about 200 of the owls. Each one takes nearly two hours. She estimates her waiting list is up to 700.
“Maybe someday somebody will find me that wants to make a machine and you pop them in and they come out and it’s like magic. That would be awesome because I want everyone to have one,” she said.
Until then, Cawley’s mom, Dianne, is lending a hand. She’s the one who taught her how to sew and is her biggest supporter.
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“Just the thought of what it is all about — helping somebody who’s gone and sacrificed themselves for each one of us — is just a special thing to do,” said Dianne Cawley.
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And Cawley makes sure each Hoot is special.
No two Hoots are the same. Each one is personalized for its future owner.
“They don’t even see the process of what she’s doing. They have no idea how many hours it takes,” said Dianne Cawley. “But to know that there’s somebody out there who doesn’t even know you that cares, that is something special right there.”
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But Cawley says, despite the long hours spent snipping, cutting and sewing, it’s worth it.
“It feels great. I feel like I’m making some part of the world better. When they get so excited and happy I feel like I’m doing something to make their day better,” she said.
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Cawley operates Hoots for Troops using donations. To learn more about Hoots for Troops, click HERE to view the Facebook group.
To contribute to the Hoots for Troops Go Fund me account, click HERE.
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All this week, 8News reporters Evanne Armour and Roxie Bustamante are introducing viewers to people like Crystal Cawley who are going “Above & Beyond” in their communities. That segment airs every day this week at 5 a.m. on Good Morning Richmond.
Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
