LANDO ALDRIDGE, 8
BY JEANA DURST
Lando Aldridge is not like most eight-year-
been putting his sewing skills to work to help aid
animals in need through his Hats for Cats project,
money for cat rescue missions and sanctuaries.
sewing his mask and
took an interest in
learning the craft.
dots of how to use his
skills to support his
love of animals. That
love, which started
with the family’s rescue
kitty Flower, has been
nurtured ever since,
and host of “pet”
chickens. They’ve even
been known to invite the chickens for a “dinner
at the table” in the backyard. The chickens are so
much like family now that Lando has sworn off
chicken nuggets or any other chicken dishes, his
Most recently, Lando has been in the maskmaking
business with the help of his mother,
pins the masks as he sews them.) The “Masks for
Medical Workers” project launched when Lando
and his mom were watching press conferences
the Jefferson County Department of Health was
30 Bham Family August 2020
they were donating masks to area veterinarians,
dentists, pharmacies, and other essential workers.
The idea quickly grew to incorporate selling
masks as well as donating them. And, true to his
heart, Lando decided to use proceeds to help
at-risk animals.
through Cats for Hats
(he was accustomed
to selling his hats at
adoption events), Lando
has been able to donate
Rescue in Alabaster
from the sales of masks
at press time. In order
to accomplish this, he
has sewn close to 500
masks since late March,
and he says he’s only
going to stop when the
need stops. When I asked Lando about how his
It’s clear this inspired young boy knows what
he wants. He’s learned a thing or two about
never go too fast on a machine because you
can break the needle,” Lando says. He’s also
learned just how hard work and determination
make dreams happen. Now, he’s even taking
orders from all over the nation. If you’d
like to support his projects, please visit
/hatsforcats