LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Wreaths Across America program, which honors veterans, will be hosted in Lake County again this year.
National Wreaths Across America Day will take place this year on Saturday, Dec. 19.
This year’s theme is, “Be An American Worth Fighting For.”
This will be the 14th year that Lake County has participated in the program to place wreaths on the graves of veterans in six local cemeteries. The mission is to “Remember, Honor, Teach.”
In the first year, seven ceremonial wreaths were placed in Lake County for the seven divisions of the military during a WAA Ceremony at the Hartley Cemetery.
Ceremonies are now held at Hartley, Kelseyville, Upper Lake, Lower Lake, St. Mary’s and Middletown cemeteries.
In 2019, 2.2 million veterans’ wreaths were placed across the country in all 50 states – 254,000 of them at Arlington National Cemetery.
More than two million volunteers participated last year at 2,158 locations nationwide, with 38,500 volunteers laying wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery. More than a third of the volunteers across the country were children.
Approximately 600 truckloads of wreaths were delivered across the country by hundreds of volunteer professional truck drivers using donated equipment and fuel from approximately 250 carriers.
Boy Scout Troop 42 in Lakeport, Girl Scouts and Big Valley 4-H in Kelseyville, the Lake County 4-H Group in Lower Lake and FFA in Upper Lake and Middletown will be accepting donations for wreaths until Dec. 2.
Individual sponsorships cost $15 for one wreath and the family option costs $60 for four wreaths, small businesses can fund 10 wreaths for $150 and corporations can sponsor 100 or more wreaths for $1,500 or any amount can be sponsored for $15 per wreath.
Toni Funderburg, coordinator of Wreaths Across America in Lake County, said sponsorship forms can be picked up at Lakeport Tire & Auto Service, 1901 S. Main St. in Lakeport, or you can call 707-263-5422 and they will fax or email you a sponsorship form.
To sponsor a wreath online, go to https://wreathsacrossamerica.org/CA0090P or to choose another cemetery or sponsor group in Lake County visit the Wreaths Across America website.