Dec. 17 is National Wreaths Across America Day, a national event to remember, honor and teach about our nation’s veterans with the laying of wreaths at more than 3,400 cemeteries throughout the United States.

This year, National Wreaths Across America Day will lay wreaths throughout the Valley. Wreath sponsorships and volunteer opportunities are still available. Participating groups/locations are Old City Cemetery in Brownsville, Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery in Mercedes, and Ashland Memorial Park and Veterans’ Memorial At Pendleton Park in Harlingen.

Wreaths across America welcomes volunteers of all ages and backgrounds to place wreaths and/or aid in cleanup. Coordinators ask volunteers to follow the location coordinators instructions on where to place wreaths, as well as “how” to place them.

Wreath sponsorships are $15 each. Those who would like to sponsor a wreath or wreaths, or volunteer may find more information on each site’s web page.

About National Wreaths Across America Day

In 2008, Dec. 13 was unanimously voted by the U.S. Congress as “Wreaths Across America Day.” The wreath-laying takes place annually, on the second or third Saturday of December.

In 2014, Wreaths Across America and its national network of volunteers laid over 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 of the Sept. 11 tragedies. This was possible with help from 2,047 sponsorship groups, corporate contributions, and donations of trucking, shipping and thousands of helping hands. The organization’s goal of covering Arlington National Cemetery became a reality in 2014 with the placement of 226,525 wreaths.