July 29, 2000, the Matthew Shepard Memorial quilt was presented to Mrs. Judy Shepard by Monie Gebhart and David Lehning. Mrs. Shepard was very pleased with the quilt and it is hoped that the Mattew Shepard Foundation can continue this project in some fashion similar to the AIDS Quilt.

The Matthew Shepard Memorial quilt is an artistic labor of love. The quilt stands as a testimony that there are many people in the world who care, who love and who remember those who were the victims of hate crimes. We encourage concerned quilters to create quilts that can be used to reduce hatred and violence.

The Matthew Shepard Memorial Quilt contains quilt blocks in memory of victims of crime. Some of the quilt blocks and some close-up photographs of the quilt appear below. The first two photos are of Judy Shepard and David with the quilt.

One of Matthew's quilt blocks.

This quilt block for Matthew is of a shepherd. The wonderful design is a natural fit for Matthew - a shepherd memorial for a Shepard. Sheep are important in Wyoming, so this seems like a natural for a young Wyoming man, who loved the outdoors.

This block was designed to help represent the wonderful racial diversity present in the United States.

The Gay Pride block for Matthew is very striking. Matthew Shepard was a student at the University of Wyoming when he was killed. The block with the modified star is brown and gold, the colors of the University of Wyoming.

This block is for the students who died at Columbine High School in Colorado.

More photos are on Page 2.