I heard some happy news the other day.
The very moving and heartwarming Wreaths Across America ceremony will be expanding in Webster this year to two more cemeteries.
Wreaths Across America is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to place a wreath on the grave of every veteran in the country. Last year, the movement reached Webster; on Saturday Dec. 17, more than 300 adults and children gathered at the official Wreaths Across America ceremony at Webster Union Cemetery to help lay more than 650 wreaths. (Click here to read my blog about that day.)
Cherie Wood, Wreaths Across America’s Location Coordinator for Webster, recently told me that the effort will not only be returning to Webster Union Cemetery this December, but also to Union Hill and Webster Rural cemeteries.
The good news is, that means hundreds more veterans will be recognized on National Wreaths Across America Day on December 16, 2023. The not so good news is that hundreds more wreaths will need to be sponsored in the next few months to honor those veterans.
The effort is off to a strong start thanks to the Webster Garlic Festival, held in September. Almost 100 vendors filled the Rec Center gymnasium and outdoor walkways, and an estimated 3,000 people attended. It was a very successful event, especially considering it was the first Garlic Festival held in a few years. The proceeds were shared among Wreaths Across America; the Blue Star Mothers, who create care packages to send to our deployed servicemen and women; and the Gold Star Mothers, who support emotionally and physically injured veterans.
PLUS, in addition to the money raised from vendors and admission, our generous community members sponsored 400 wreaths during the festival.
As I said, that’s a good start for this year’s Wreaths Across America effort. But we’re adding two new cemeteries this year; almost one thousand veterans are buried in Webster Rural Cemetery alone, and another 56 at Union Hill. Together with Webster Union Cemetery, we’re talking almost 1,700 veterans.
We’re going to need more wreaths.
Individual wreath sponsorships are just $17, and $5 from each will go directly to the Blue Star Mothers, who will use the funds to prepare and ship care packages to deployed servicemen and women (every dollar you donate stays in Webster). This is a great chance for families to honor their own veteran relatives who are buried in these three cemeteries.
Click here to sponsor a wreath (or several) and click here to see and follow the Wreaths Across America Facebook page to keep up on all the latest news.
Please sponsor your wreaths by Nov. 20, because that’s when the order needs to be put in.
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(posted 10/21/2023)
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