No More Red Hats for Now, but NH Knitters and Crocheters Should Check Back Later in the Year

Knit one, purl two. That's all I remember from when I was a kid and tried and tried again to learn how to knit. Unfortunately, I never mastered that talent. But, I know there are many people who love to knit and crochet, and this can be a great way to spend some time doing what you love for a great cause.

While the American Heart Association often looks for volunteers in New Hampshire and across the country to help with their 'Little Hats, Big Hearts' campaign, they were so inundated with hats that they had to stop accepting them for now.

The AHA in conjunction with The Children's Heart Foundation celebrates American Heart Month (February) by providing knitted and/or crocheted red hats for babies born in February. The red hats are given out to thousands of babies during February to empower Moms to live heart healthy lives and to help their children do the same.

Below is the list of participating hospitals in New Hampshire:

• • Alice Peck Day
  • Androscoggin Valley Hospital
  • Catholic Medical Center
  • Dartmouth-Hitchcock
  • Elliot Health System
  • Exeter Hospital
  • Frisbie Memorial Hospital
  • Lakes Region General Hospital
  • Littleton Regional Healthcare
  • Memorial Hospital
  • Monadnock Community Hospital
  • Parkland Medical Center
  • Portsmouth Regional Hospital
  • Southern NH Medical Center
  • Speare Memorial Hospital
  • St. Joseph Hospital
  • Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

However, according to AHA Communications Director Rosie Kelley, "We were inundated with donations last year, which was amazing, but we had to discourage another influx of hats this year."

On the website that highlights the program, the New Hampshire section lists this message:

"The New Hampshire office has reached capacity for accepting hats at this time. We want to thank our community for such a wonderful response. Please check back in the late summer or fall for new due dates and information about this project for the coming year."

So while they are not collecting hats at this time, make sure to be on the lookout later in the year for any info about when the program might be looking for hats once again.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the American Heart Association was looking for volunteers to knit hats. In fact, the association stated that "The New Hampshire office has reached capacity for accepting hats at this time. We want to thank our community for such a wonderful response. Please check back in the late summer or fall for new due dates and information about this project for the coming year."