Romulus cemetery to join Wreaths Across America
The national effort is a formal remembrance and tribute to the men and women who sacrificed their lives in service to their country. Volunteers will place remembrance wreaths on veteran's graves during the ceremony.
Funding is still needed for the project and wreaths can be purchased at https://bit.ly/2TTs4Hy and donations for the project, which aims to place 350 wreaths next month, are being sought. There are more than 1,500 participating locations across the country participating in the event this year.
The tribute began as a private donation from a wreath company and became a national effort in 2005. In 2006, with the help of the Civil Air Patrol and other civic organizations, simultaneous wreath-laying ceremonies took place at more than 150 locations around the country. By 2008, more than 300 locations participated in every state, Puerto Rico and 24 overseas cemeteries and more than 100,000 wreaths were placed on veterans' graves. More than 60,000 volunteers participated. And that year, Dec. 13, 2008 was unanimously voted by the US Congress as “Wreaths Across America Day”.
In 2014, Wreaths Across America and its national network of volunteers laid 700,000 memorial wreaths at 1,000 locations in the United States and beyond, including ceremonies at the Pearl Harbor Memorial, as well as Bunker Hill, Valley Forge and the sites if the Sept.11 tragedies. This was accomplished with help from 2,047 sponsorship groups, corporate contributions, and donations of trucking, shipping, and thousands of helping hands. The organization goal of covering Arlington National Cemetery was met in 2014 with the placement of 226,525 wreaths.
Te wreath-laying takes place annually, on the second or third Saturday of December.
Wreaths Across America also conducts several programs to honor veterans, including the popular “Thanks a Million” campaign which distributes cards to people all over the country to give veterans a simple “thank you” for their service. WAA participates in veterans' events throughout the year, and has a veteran liaison on staff to work with local veterans organizations. WAA is committed to teaching younger generations about the value of their freedoms, and the importance of honoring those who sacrificed so much to protect those freedoms. The organization offers learning tools, interactive media projects, and opportunities for youth groups to participate in the events. They also work to create opportunities to connect “the Greatest Generation” with the “Generation of Hope”, passing on inspirational stories from World War II veterans to the leaders of the future.
For more information, or to contribute or volunteer, contact the Romulus VFW at (734) 941-3030.
