'Celebrate Fatigues' honors veterans through repurposing uniforms

While searching for a place to donate her late brother's fatigues, Cathy O'Rourke knew she wanted somewhere she knew would honor her brother's service and memory.

She found that in the KCMO-base nonprofit Celebrate Fatigues.

WE FIRST TOLD YOUABOUT CELEBRATEFATIGUES LAST NOVEMBER-- A PLACE WHERE YOUCAN DONATE MILITARYUNIFORMS TO BEREPURPOSED INTODIFFERENT ITEMS TOHONOR THOSE WHOSERVED OUR COUNTRY.THOUSANDS OF UNIFORMSHAVE BEEN DONATED TOTHE ORGANIZATION.ONE WOMAN HOPES HERDONATION CONTINUES TOHONOR THE MAN WHOWORE IT - I GOT TO HEARHER STORY AND LEARNHOW YOU CAN DONATEFATIGUES AND HONORTHOSE CLOSE TO YOU.CathyHe was ten years youngerthan me -- he was my babybrotherRae:How would you describehim?CathyHonory!FOR SOME BIG SISTERS ITIS THE PERFECT WORD TODESCRIBE LITTLEBROTHERS .CathyI spent most of my life takingcare of himAND LT.

Mark Jilka SPENTMUCH OF HIS, TAKINGCARE OF HIS COUNTRY....CathyHe went to the persian gulftwice - first time on the ussaus - the second time on theuss deyo and then when hecame back later as anofficer....and he went tokandahar in afghanistan ...IN 2014 ... THE NAVYVETERAN... WAS KILLED BYA DiSTRACTED DRIVERWHILE RIDING HIS BIKE....nats......HIS MILITARY FATIGUESLAID IN STORAGE...I didn't want to take them to athrift store because I didn'tknow what would happen tothem -- I felt like I needed totake care of his uniforms tooSO SHE TOOK THEM TOCONNIESWARTZ....FOUNDER OFCELEBRATE FATIGUES....ConnieThere are as many stories asthere are pieces of fabric IthinkEACH PIECE OFFABRIC....EACHSTITCH....REPRESENTING ASTORY OF THE MEN ANDWOMEN WHO SERVED.ConnieI feel like his uniforms couldbe respectd here - and that hisservice to this counry wouldbe honoredGLASS CASES, DOG-KERCHIEFS,BAGS.....REPURPOSEDFROM THESE FATIGUES...we treat the fabric withrespect and we give it itsdignity and we just on't wantthis to go to the landfill.BUT NOT EVERY SINGLEPIECE DONATED IS USED....Conniethe man or woman who worethis uniform earned thesestripes and this ribbon andnobody else ha the right towear it ... this is theirsalone.

Ifwe get things like this, we takethem off.They're pieces to honor butthey're not pieces to wearFOR SWARTZ...SHE HOPESTHESE ITEMS ARE WORNWITH PRIDE...be roud of this piece becauseit's part of your historyAND FOR CATHY...HERBROTHER'S LEGACY NOWINSTILLED IN THESEREPURPOSED ITEMSjust to remember thatsomebody is over there takingcare of us...just like I triedtotake care of my brother -- hewas taking care of everybodyhere at homeRIGHT NOW CELEBRATEFATIGUES IS LOOKING FORHELP --TAKE A LOOK AT YOURSCREEN...THESE AREPHOTOS OF VETERANSGETTING TOGETHER FOR ADECONSTRUCTING PARTYTO HELP SORT DONATIONSAND GETTING THEM READYTO BE REPURPOSED.THEY'LL HAVE VFWPARTIES TO GETTOGETHER AND SHARESTORIES WHILEVOLUNTEERING...YOUDON'T HAVE TO BE AVETERAN TO VOLUNTEERTHOUGH!

IF YOU CAN SEW,HELP SORT, THEY'RELOOKING FOR YO