The annual Wreaths Across America ceremony will be held by the Civil Air Patrol’s Jamestown Composite Squadron on Dec. 17 at noon at Lake View Cemetery. During the ceremony, evergreen wreaths will be laid on the graves located in Soldiers Circle in the cemetery, as well as on the graves of the Medal of Honor recipients which are located in a different area. Submitted photo

The Civil Air Patrol’s Jamestown Composite Squadron is asking for the public’s help in their annual Wreaths Across America campaign.

Each year, the squadron participates in the program in which evergreen wreaths are purchased for the graves of those in Soldiers Circle at Lake View Cemetery. Then on the day of the ceremony, the wreaths are delivered to the cemetery and the wreaths are placed on the graves. The program is a nationwide program in which military graves are decorated with evergreen wreaths in honor of their memory.

Wreaths Across America was founded in 1992 by Maine businessman Morrill Worchester in remembrance of veterans, with the first wreath-laying ceremony taking place at Arlington National Cemetery. The goal of the organization is to eventually have enough sponsors to lay a wreath at every gravesite in Arlington.

Todd Hanson, Jamestown Composite Squadron captain, said the group has held the event for approximately eight years.

“We sell wreaths through the Wreaths Across America program, and they deliver all the fresh evergreen wreaths to me a few days before from Columbia Falls, Maine,” Hanson said. “We are taking advantage of the program they offer: for every two wreaths we sell, we get a third wreath free. We are trying to sell 800 wreaths so we will in turn get 1,200 wreaths, which will be enough to cover all the graves at Soldiers’ Circle plus a few other special graves and the three Medal of Honor winners buried there.”

Hanson urged the public to visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org to see how the event began, and the operation currently in place to deliver the wreaths to more than 1,000 locations across America.

“It is a very impressive and emotional ceremony to honor our veterans and their families,” he said. “On the website, if you scroll down to the ‘donate to a local fundraising group’ icon, you can enter our group number, NY0024, and for every two wreaths at $15 a piece, we will get three. This is an important ceremony to honor our veterans and also remember their families and the sacrifices that they all gave and are still giving. We encourage everyone to join us at the cemetery and help lay the wreaths.”

Hanson said he also encourages veterans to attend the ceremony so the group can thank them for their service. Wreath orders need to be in by Thanksgiving so the wreaths can be made and delivered on time, he added.

“The holidays and Christmas are tough times for some families that have soldiers serving or are deployed, (as well as) those who have lost a hero in the service,” Hanson said. The Blue Star Mothers, Patriot Guard and the County Color Guard for the legion participate in the ceremony, and I encourage everyone to take the time to sponsor a wreath or two, come to the ceremony and remember to thank our veterans. Lastly, I would challenge everyone that knows a family with someone in the service to thank the family and make sure their needs are met while their loved ones are away serving our country.”

For more information on the program or to sponsor a wreath, visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.