Shepherdstown resident Pattie Wilmoth sews a quilt for next year's Shares Goes to School! fundraiser, using West Virginia University-themed cloth, in Evolve on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — For the second year-in-a-row, Shepherdstown resident Pattie Wilmoth sewed four, two-sided quilts to be raffled off at the “Shares Goes to School!” fundraiser in Evolve over the weekend.

Fundraiser founder Jan Hafer said she was thrilled to see that Shares Goes to School! would be helping local teachers succeed in the 2025-2026 school year.

“We’ve done this for four years. It used to just be us putting out a jar for donations, but now it has grown into so much more,” Hafer said. “This seems to be the exact right formula — people love being able to participate in this event.”

Shepherdstown Shares volunteer Nancy Stewart, who organized this year’s fundraiser, credited Wilmoth as the reason for its ongoing success.

“Last year’s event was so successful. We raised a lot of funds and it was all because Pattie’s quilts turned it into such a lovely event,” Stewart said. “Having a hook like this really brings people in!”

Potomac, Md. resident Angie George fills out a slip to participate in the quilt raffle at the second annual Shares Goes to School! fundraiser in Evolve on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

The addition of the quilting aspect to the fundraiser, according to Stewart, led to Shares Goes to School! raising far more last year than it had ever raised before. She said that, based on the high turnout at this year’s event, she was confident a similar amount would be raised again, to be split evenly between the faculty senates at Shepherdstown Middle School and Shepherdstown Elementary School.

“Everything that comes in is given equally to the two schools, to make sure their teachers can afford to purchase basic classroom supplies or to do a project that, otherwise they would have to pay for out of their own pocket or go without,” Stewart said. “We believe this event makes people more aware of the needs of teachers. There are many teachers among us — we’re supporting our own and supporting the education of the next generation.”

At this year’s fundraiser, Wilmoth was once again present, with her sewing machine and quilting supplies on-hand. She could be found there working on a quilt for next year’s fundraiser, themed after West Virginia University and its colors, in between chatting with attendees and teaching them how to make quilt blocks. This was no new experience for her, as prior to retirement she taught similar skills as a home economics teacher in Jefferson County’s public schools.

“I taught for 25 years in Jefferson County. I know how hard it is,” Wilmoth said, noting she taught at Charles Town Junior High School, Jefferson High School and Shepherdstown Middle School throughout her career.

Due to Wilmoth’s awareness of the need of teachers, not only did she create the quilts to be raffled off for donations, but she also added a secondary fundraising element to this year’s event — selling handcrafted mug rugs and candle cozies to attendees.

“Quilting used to be such a common practice, but for many people, it’s a thing of memory now,” Wilmoth said. “Yet everybody who walked in here had some connection to quilting. They all had a story about a special quilt that had been made by someone they loved. It’s wonderful, being able to share those stories with one another.”

The four quilts were won by two people from Shepherdstown and Harpers Ferry and two tourists, during the raffle drawing at the end of the fundraiser on Sunday.