PARKERSBURG, WV – Handcrafted wooden pens are making their way to men and women in the U.S. armed forces serving abroad or in U.S. rehabilitation facilities, thanks to hundreds of volunteers who participated in the Woodcraft Turn for Troops National Turn-a-Thon in November.

Woodcraft has already received word that soldiers stationed at a base in Afghanistan will find the one-of-a-kind writing instruments in their Christmas stockings. A USAF major and deputy wing chaplain writes: “Several months back we decided to call upon our contacts back home to see if we could get every airman and soldier on the base a stocking - the idea was simple - small stocking with a little candy. Just something from home. Your pens arrived at just the right time as we were able to add them to the stockings. In the words of our Wing Chaplain - the pens allowed the stockings to go from ‘something nice to something great’.”

As an added note, the major shared: “I cannot say thanks enough for the pens. I will be returning home in mid-January. I look forward to getting back on my lathe to support this wonderful project.”

Since the first national turn-a-thon in 2004, Woodcraft has sent a total of 87,475 (12,475 this year) wood pens to American service personnel. In addition to the annual turn-a-thon, some stores schedule multiple Turn for Troops events, and many Woodcraft customers and employees turn pens on their own. Often turners will include a personal note to the soldier who will receive the pen.

For more information about Woodcraft, please contact the store nearest you, visit Woodcraft.com.

Source: Woodcraft Industries, Inc.