DOWAGIAC — Last week, a table inside of Dowagiac’s Patrick Hamilton Elementary School was covered in pairs of hats and gloves in the Chieftain colors of orange and black, the Eddie colors of orange and blue, and the Ranger colors of blue and white.

“Every time I distribute at a school, I like to make sure I have the school colors,” said Dowagiac resident Sue Wilder as she rifled through a paper bag overflowing with mittens. “I have black and orange in the Dowagiac bag and blue and orange in the Edwardsburg bag.”

Soon, all of those school-colored items will be worn by area children.

As part of a knitting group and on behalf of the Cass County Council on Aging, Wilder and a friend, Carol Mobigell, of Atoka, Tennessee, knit hats and gloves to be donated to area students. This year, 240 sets of hats and gloves were given to four Tri-County Head Start centers and elementary schools in Cassopolis, Dowagiac, Edwardsburg and Marcellus.

“These all get donated to help provide winter clothing for children that need it in Cass County,” Wilder said.

Wilder has been participating in the project for 11 years and roughly spends eight hours completing a single matching set of hat and mittens. Despite the hard work, she felt good about using her knitting skills to give back to the community.

“This community has given so much to me, so I like to give back,” she said. “I was raised here. I went to grade school here. My daughter went to grade school here, so did my grandkids. It’s given a lot to me.”

Staff and administrators at Patrick Hamilton Elementary School expressed gratitude for the donation of hats and mittens for students, saying it would help keep many students who cannot afford proper winter gear safe and protected from harsh weather.

“So many students go without outdoor wear in the winter,” said Patrick Hamilton Elementary School teacher Cindy Stacy. “This can really help and fill a need for the students.”

Principal Nicole Robinson added that the donation could help some students get a more well-rounded education. Robinson said she believes play is an important part of children’s education, and without proper winter gear, students cannot partake in outdoor winter recess.

“We are ecstatic about getting anything that can help our students prepare for the weather,” she said. “We know how difficult it can be to find hats and scarves for an affordable price, so anyone who is willing to help the community out and help the kids is always appreciated.”

As Patrick Hamilton Elementary staff complimented the gloves and hats last week, Wilder said she is already planning on the work she will be doing for next year’s project.

“This is something I am always happy to do,” she said.