Woman crochets scarves, leaves them in St. Paul parks for people stuck out in the cold

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - Signs of warmth can be spotted across St. Paul. Hundreds of scarves are hanging from trees in 21 of the city’s parks to help spread a little bit of cheer this holiday season, especially for those in need.

The scarves are the work of Elizabeth Sammons. In February, the Lonsdale, Minn. woman says she and a coworker got the idea from Facebook and put out five scarves around trees in Fairbault. After that, Wendy Maslowski of St. Paul reached out to her, wanting to bring the effort to her city.

Sammons said they crocheted and collected exactly 1,041 scarves and with the help of an army of volunteers, they tied them to trees in parks across the city for anyone who needs one to take.

Each scarf comes with a tag that reads, "I am not lost! If you are stuck out in the cold please take this to keep warm!" 

Sammons, who received a heart transplant in June, said the project is her way of giving back to the people that helped her.

“I’m excited to come back here and see the scarves gone and know that people who needed them took them,” she said.