Quilt made by Medina woman will be raffled as fundraiser for American Legion

Photo by Ginny Kropf: From left, Butts-Clark American Legion acting commander Jim Wells, Carol Callina and Cathy Fox, president of the American Legion Auxiliary, hold a quilt Callina made and donated for a raffle to benefit the American Legion.

MEDINA – Quilting has been a passion of Carol Callina’s since she was a teenager.

“In fact, I taught my mother how to quilt,” Callina said today at the Butts-Clark American Legion Post, where she has donated a quilt to be raffled off to benefit the Post.

A daughter of the late Carlton and Janice Prawel, Callina left Medina after graduating from high school to join the Navy. She spent four years in active duty and three years in the Reserve, then went to work for the Department of Justice, later Homeland Security, where she was an immigration officer for four years.

After retiring in September 2021, she returned to Medina to live in the family home, which her father always said he didn’t want to see go out of the family.

Callina has lost count of the number of quilts she has made, but she said it is hundreds in more than 40 years.

“My house is full of them,” she said.

When decorating her bedrooms, she chose wall paper to complement the quilts she had made on the beds.

She has a son and granddaughter, age 7, for whom she is making quilts in all different patterns and colors.

“I want her to have a selection of quilts as she grows up,”Callina said. “In case I’m not around, she’ll have a part of me.”

Last year Callina made a quilt in patriotic colors, which she donated to the American Legion to raffle off. Tickets are on sale now for $5 and are available at the American Legion on North Main Street.

“It took Carol two weeks to make that quilt for us and we are very grateful,” said the Legion’s acting commander Jim Wells. “It was a nice surprise and the money we make will go to help the community.”

Wells said the Legion tries to do a raffle every year, and has done a meat raffle. They were excited when Callina offered to donate a quilt to raffle.

Callina, who joined the American Legion shortly after returning to Medina, is vice chair of the post. She also volunteers to clean for them and is the only female member of the Honor Guard.

The quilt raffle will take place on May 29.