Published: August 10, 2008 11:37 am      

‘Hugs’ & ‘kisses’ for the troops

OHCE holds special Sew-In

DUNCAN — “Hugs” and “kisses” were the order of the day Tuesday at a special-request Sew-In held by the Oklahoma Home and Community Education groups at the Stephens County Fair & Expo Center.

“Hugs” are strips of unbleached muslin filled with polymer crystals that swell when soaked in water. Troops deployed in areas with high temperatures, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, wrap the hugs around their necks to help them cope with the heat. The kisses are round muslin disks filled with the same water-absorbent crystals to place between a soldier’s head and helmet to provide additional cooling.

The hugs work on the principle of evaporative cooling. Once the polymer is hydrated, the fabric surface of the wrap draws the moisture from the polymer to the fabric surface, which evaporates, effectively cooling the body. The ties and helmet disks can be reused many times and can also be refrigerated to provide additional cooling or heated in hot water or a microwave to warm the soldier, if needed.

The polymer crystals are the same as those used in flower pots to provide moisture for plants. Because they hold many times their weight in water, only 2 teaspoons of the crystals are needed for a hug, and one-half teaspoon for a kiss.

The hugs ’n’ kisses were a special request from 1st Battalion, 158th Field Artillery, Oklahoma National Guard, which trains at the armory in Duncan. The battalion is preparing for its next deployment.

Each hug and kiss was placed in a plastic bag along with a small tag that read: “We appreciate you for your service to our country and so we want you to have this gift of love from home. When you wear it, please remember there is someone who made this by hand just for you and who wishes they could give you a real hug. We want you to know that we are praying for your safety.”

Sharon Hobson is chairman of the OHCE Military/Family Support Committee in Stephens County. She and the presidents of local OHCE groups who serve on her committee are always on the lookout for ways to give comfort, aid and encouragement to troops and their families.

Other items requested by local groups for the second Sew-In of the year included cosmetic and toiletry bags for clients of Stephens County Youth Services and Women’s Haven.

While OHCE is not a “sewing club,” it is a community-oriented group that is glad to be able to help when help is needed, members said.

Members of several of the Stephens County OHCE groups turned out for the Sew-In, which was scheduled as soon as the requests were received from the groups needing the items. The whir of sewing machines filled the room as nimble fingers turned out stacks of each item.

Sue Holland, a member of Rock Creek OHCE group, even recruited her daughter, Susan Holland, who was visiting from Austin, Texas, to help with the project.

An ongoing OHCE project is providing “privacy covers” used by Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers to cover the victims of fatal accidents to shield the bodies from view of family members or curious passers-by. OHCE is collecting full-size flat sheets in solid, somber colors for the project. Two covers can be made from each sheet. Anyone having sheets to donate may drop them off at the OSU Extension Center at the fairgrounds, or call 580-255-0510 for information.