Veterans graves are marked with fresh Balsam wreaths during the Wreaths Across America ceremony.
ELKIN — More than 100 wreaths were laid on the graves of veterans at Elkin’s Hollywood Cemetery on Sunday for the second annual Wreaths Across America event.
“We are really honored to do this,” said Becky Dursee, of the Jonathan Hunt Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution which hosts the event.
The purpose of the placing of the wreaths is part of the Wreaths Across America mission to, “remember the fallen, honor those who serve and teach the next generation the value of freedom.
Special speaker for Sunday’s ceremony was U.S. Air Force veteran Carol McDowell.
McDowell said that so many who have served in the armed forces continue to serve in various ways in their communities.
“Those who serve, still serve,” McDowell said.
McDowell also spoke about the importance of recognizing and teaching about the freedoms enjoyed in America.
“There are people all over the world fighting to get into this country because they recognize the importance of the freedom we share,” she said.
Members of the Wilkes-Surry Chapter of the Overmountain Victory Trail Association, dressed in Revolutionary War era attire, also took part in the ceremony.
Following the brief ceremony, volunteers began placing the wreaths on veteran graves which were marked with American flags.
Elkin’s ceremony was one of more than 3,000 participating locations across the country, according to a press release from Wreaths Across America.
“Over 525 truckloads of wreaths were delivered – representing 390 different carriers – and over two million volunteers, a third of whom were children, helped placed more than 2.4 million veterans’ wreaths on headstones of our fallen across the country,” said a press release from the organization.
The Jonathan Hunt Chapter of the DAR will continue to raise funds for scholarships for high school students as well as donations for next year’s placement of wreaths. For more information contact Dursee at durseeb@yahoo.com.