Q&A with Janet Smith, Director of Marketing for Caron United
As you know, we’ve been working very closely over the past several months with Caron on their World’s Biggest Stocking project, which benefits the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation to help provide college educations to children in need nationwide. We sat down with Janet Smith, Director of Marketing for Caron, to discuss the program, who it helps, and how you can get involved.
Orignally published on knittingdaily.com.
How did Caron come up with the idea of building the World’s Biggest Stocking?
As you know, Caron supports the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, which is a charity organization that provides college educations to kids who have lost parents in the line of duty. And we just wanted to have an initiative that would bring people together as well as be something that was visible, so it was sort of a movement of something bigger and there came the World’s Biggest Stocking.
How long has Caron been involved with the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation? How did that partnership come about?
We had been working with the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation prior to launching Caron United, which was in 2014, so we have been working with them for well over a year now. At the time, we were looking to find a charity to work with, and when we came across the Children of Fallen Patriots we were very impressed that one hundred percent of the funds go directly to the recipients, and it’s such a great cause. It’s wonderful that they are helping to provide these scholarships to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.
When do you expect the stocking to be complete? Will you be hosting some sort of celebration to commemorate the occasion?
We are aiming to have the stocking finished by the end of this year, and yes, we are planning a very special event for that time period. The event details are top-secret and will be revealed shortly.
What are some ways people can get involved with this project?
We would love people to join us by stitching as many 3-foot-by-3-foot stocking sections as possible. You can find details about the stocking project and about Children of Fallen Patriots on our website.
Anything else you’d like to add?
The Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation is just such a wonderful charity because it helps so many kids in need. Oftentimes when a parent is lost in the line of duty, the family doesn’t have a lot of options for a college education; their funds are significantly reduced and therefore it can really impact their options. By providing a college education, The Children of Fallen Patriots is helping pave the way for a bright future. We’re hoping that everyone will join us using Caron United yarn for the Caron World’s Biggest Stocking project.
For more information about how you can get involved with Caron’s World’s Biggest Stocking initiative, visit the Yarnspirations website. And be sure to download the latest FREE knitting patterns to stitch your piece of the stocking today!