Organizations seeking sponsors for wreaths for Wreaths Across America ceremony
Veteran Zane Mitchell takes part in a ceremony at Laurel Point Cemetery in Carmichaels.
Observer-Reporter
Wreaths representing each branch of the military, plus one for POW/MIA, were placed during the Wreaths Across America ceremony at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies last year.
Veteran Tom May takes part in a ceremony at Laurel Point Cemetery in Carmichaels.
Veteran Don Voytek takes part in a ceremony at Laurel Point Cemetery in Carmichaels.
On Dec. 14 at noon, several local organizations will participate in the Wreaths Across America campaign.
They include the George Washington Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, along with the Greene County Composite Squadron 606, Boy Scout Troop 1280 and Troop 9280 of Waynesburg, Carmichaels Women’s Civic Club, American Legion Post 400 and the Carmichaels Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3491.
The ceremony will be held simultaneously across the country at more than 1,400 locations.
The organizations are seeking sponsors to purchase live wreaths to be placed at local national cemeteries during the ceremony.
The George Washington chapter will place the balsam fir wreaths in National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, Cecil Township.
In Greene County, the Greene County Composite Squadron 606 and the Scout troops will provide wreaths for the approximately 500 veterans laid to rest at Green Mount Cemetery, Waynesburg, and Rosemont Cemetery, Rogersville. The ceremony will be held at the Waynesburg VFW Post 4793.
The Carmichaels Civic Club, along with the American Legion and VFW Post 3491, will place wreaths on 342 veterans’ graves at the Laurel Point Cemetery.
Wreaths Across America remembers the fallen, honors those who serve and teaches children the value of freedom.
The goal is to generate sponsors for wreaths that will be placed on veterans’ graves in each of over 1,600 national cemeteries and locations in the country and overseas.
Each wreath sponsorship costs $15 and is tax deductible. For every two wreaths sponsored, a third is provided free by the national organization.
The George Washington Chapter is the largest gatherer of sponsorships for the Cecil cemetery.
The National Cemetery of the Alleghenies was established in 2008 on approximately 300 acres. About 16,000 people have been interred since the cemetery opened.
At the Dec. 14 event, family, friends, veterans, youths and organizations will gather for a brief ceremony followed by the placing of the wreaths.
Last year 12,000 wreaths were placed at the Cemetery of the Alleghenies.
Volunteers are encouraged to come to the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies to help place wreaths.
The deadline to purchase wreaths is Nov. 27 for the Sons of the American Revolution. Anyone interested in sponsoring a wreath for Cemetery of the Alleghenies can make a check payable to Wreaths Across America and send it to Gary W. Timmons, 13 Elm Lane, Wheeling, WV 26003-4905. He also can be contacted at 304-242-8759.
For the Greene County cemeteries, order forms can be picked up at the Waynesburg VFW Post 4739. Or contact a member of the Greene Composite Squadron 606 or the Waynesburg Boy Scouts or visit the website at http://www.squadron606.us/index.php/squadron/wreaths-across-america/.
For the Carmichaels Women’s Club, checks can be made payable to Wreaths Across America and sent to the Carmichaels Women’s Civic Club, P.O. Box 453, Carmichaels, PA 15230. For more information, call 724-966-2486.