When Badin High School sophomore Stephanie Hartkemeyer was in the midst of working with a children’s group making blankets, she was reminded of another opportunity – making blankets for military veterans.

She thought it was a good idea, and started considering fundraising opportunities to get the material.

Enter her friend, fellow Badin sophomore Elizabeth Kreimer, and Elizabeth’s mother, Corrine.

Stephanie and Elizabeth thought that Halloween “Boo-grams” might be a way to make money, at $1 apiece at Badin -- quick notes of “hello” from one student to another, attached to a sucker. Those were a big hit -- and raised some $350 at Badin.

Mrs. Kreimer put the idea up on social media … and it went “viral.” By the time Halloween had come and gone, the girls had raised some $1,500 for blanket material!

“I never expected anything like this!” Stephanie said. “It’s great. I’m waiting for 65 yards of material to come in, and then we’ll have so many more blankets!”

So far, the girls have made 75 blankets using the military-themed blanket material. They’ll double that number once the additional material arrives.

“We need a little more help making the blankets,” Hartkemeyer laughed. “But we’re excited to do this.”

Hartkemeyer, a graduate of Sacred Heart School in Fairfield, and Kreimer, from Harrison Junior High, said the goal is to have as many blankets as possible ready for an Honor Flight leaving from Dayton in April. Honor Flights take military veterans and chaperones to Washington D.C. to see the various memorials at no cost to the veteran involved.