Jerry Burr, 76, of Zelienople has knitted and donated more than 4,000 caps for others. Since 2007, nearly all of his finished caps have been donated to Caps for Kids or given directly to hospitals for newborn babies.

ZELIENOPLE — Jerry Burr has made 4,343 wool caps since February 2007.

The retiree knits the caps and donates them to charity. He keeps track of how many he has done in a spiral-bound notebook; the running total includes 367 this year.

Burr of Zelienople said a couple of women from his church initially got him into knitting. He makes the caps using a plastic loom, which makes the process simple.

“I call this knitting for dummies because if I can do it anyone can do it,” he said.

After giving away caps to friends and family, Burr wanted to continue knitting but didn't know what to do with the finished caps. Then he heard about Caps for Kids, a nonprofit organization that collects knit caps and donates them to groups that distribute them to needy people.

Since 2007, nearly all of Burr's finished caps have been donated to Caps for Kids or given directly to hospitals for newborn babies.

Larry Schweinegruber, who lives in the Zelienople area, takes Burr's baby-sized caps and delivers them to five hospitals including Butler Memorial Hospital and Sewickley Valley Hospital.

Burr has four sizes of looms, the smallest ones make hats that are given to newborns. Babies wear surgical caps for one day after they are born and wear Burr's knitted caps after that until they outgrow them, he said.

Burr and his wife, Louise, have been married for 55 years and have lived in Zelienople for 10 years. Before retiring, Burr ran a dairy farm in Jackson Township for 30 years and ran a limousine business for 16 years.

Now 76, he said volunteer work is something that gives him a sense of satisfaction. In addition to knitting caps and volunteering with Caps for Kids, Burr has volunteered with Meals on Wheels, the Salvation Army and his church, the Grace Church of Harmony.

“I just enjoy helping people. I love the Lord, and I love the Lord's people,” he said.

The Butler County Caps for Kids group was started nearly 17 years ago and now distributes about 5,000 caps each year in late November and early December, organizer Betty Bauer of Butler said.

Bauer said the group operates with no funding and relies on about 70 people who buy their own materials and knit the caps and others who help store and distribute the caps.

“Our slogan is 'Caps for kids made with love,' and that is true because there is no reason for these people to make these but out of love,” Bauer said.

Cap recipients include food pantries, soup kitchens, Glade Run Lutheran Services and the Bradley Center in Robinson Township, Allegheny County.

Burr has been a huge help to the organization, especially in southern Butler County, Bauer said.

“Jerry is a wonderful man. We could not do it if not for him,” she said.

To learn how to donate to Caps for Kids, call Bauer at 724-865-9717. To learn about a knitting group that meets weekly at Park Presbyterian Church, call 724-452-6673.