---
title: "Help Woodcraft Honor Military Personnel - Turn A Unique Pen"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/3c33b996-6b98-4212-9e9c-3a43b8f5c1cc
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20211029_help_woodcraft_honor_military_personnel__turn_a_unique_pen.html
category: "Specialty retail"
industry: "Retail"
segment: "Specialty retail"
published: 2021-10-29T12:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:15:37.379Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1524749292158-7540c2494485?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# Help Woodcraft Honor Military Personnel - Turn A Unique Pen

**TL;DR:** Woodcraft is partnering with volunteers to create unique writing instruments for active duty military personnel and those in rehabilitation centers as part of its 18th annual Turn for Troops National Turn-a-Thon. The event has produced over 204,000 pens since its inception, with 14,006 pens turned in 2020 despite the impact of COVID-19.

*originally published in Franchising.com on 2021-10-29. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20211029_help_woodcraft_honor_military_personnel__turn_a_unique_pen.html).*

## Story

PARKERSBURG, W.VA. (PRWEB) October 27, 2021 - Partner with Woodcraft this Veterans Day to honor active duty military personnel and those in rehabilitation centers with one-of-a-kind writing instruments. Turn a wood pen during the 18th annual Woodcraft Turn for Troops National Turn-a-Thon on November 6 and 7. Contact your local Woodcraft store for details.

In 2020, despite the impact of COVID-19 on the annual event, volunteers turned 14,006 unique pens to bring the 17-year grand total to 204,615.

“Volunteers did a phenomenal job last year,” Woodcraft President and CEO Jack Bigger said. “Despite the limited number of in-person turn-a-thons due to COVID, these dedicated turners improvised to keep pens coming for military personnel. Hopefully, these faithful pen turners will partner with Woodcraft again this year - and recruit some friends.”

Veteran Turns 100 Pens - Jim Beaumont, a veteran US Army officer, gave the Pittsburgh Woodcraft store a jump start for its Turn for Troops event - he contributed 100 pens that he turned between April 17 and September 16.

A retired emergency nurse and former paramedic, Beaumont took a pen turning class at the store in 2017 and has been participating in Turn for Troops since then. “I turn pens whenever the mood strikes. I have turned about 550 since I began,” Beaumont said.

Pen turning is easy to learn. Contact your local Woodcraft store to see about pen turning classes, or check out two Woodworking Adventures blogs on woodcraft.com – Pen Turning 101 and A Great Start for Basic Pen Turning.

Volunteer pen makers are encouraged to include notes with their pens. In addition to thanking the military man or woman for their service, notes sometimes include the type of wood used to turn the pen and contact information for the maker.

Not Just a Writing Instrument – Why does Woodcraft continue to sponsor Turn for Troops after nearly two decades? A Marine gunnery sergeant offers an answer in this May 2021 note to Woodcraft: “I am an Active Duty Marine and was just gifted with one of your beautiful pens. I must tell you this brightened my day, and I look forward to using it. … Your generosity has had a larger impact on the morale of my unit than you realize. Thank you again and God Bless! Semper Fi.”

Requests for pens arrive at Woodcraft throughout the year, and Woodcraft personnel at the corporate office check with military contacts routinely about where to send pens. Sometimes stores will suggest where to send pens, and sometimes military personnel will reach out to Woodcraft after reading publicity about the annual event.

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- Retail (sector)
- community service (topic)
- Marine Corps (company)
- military support (topic)
- veterans day (topic)
- woodcraft event (topic)
- pen turning (topic)

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Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20211029_help_woodcraft_honor_military_personnel__turn_a_unique_pen.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/3c33b996-6b98-4212-9e9c-3a43b8f5c1cc).