An annual effort to “remember, honor, and teach” is set to return to Lebanon County cemeteries on Dec. 18.
Read More: At Christmas, wreaths were best way to honor veterans’ service
Wreaths Across America is a national nonprofit organization that conducts wreath-laying ceremonies at cemeteries across the country to remember, honor, and teach the public about the services and sacrifices of the nation’s military veterans.
The Wreaths Across America program is funded through donations. The wreaths typically cost $15 each, and the organization places hundreds of thousands of fresh balsam wreaths annually.
This year, WAA ceremonies will be conducted simultaneously at noon on Dec. 18 at more than 2,700 locations across the country.
In Lebanon County, participating cemeteries include Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Covenant Greenwood Ebenezer Cemetery, and Mount Lebanon Cemetery. Most wreaths placed locally are at Indiantown Gap and Covenant Greenwood Ebenezer.
In 2019, LebTown profiled Bonnie Loy, a local force behind Ebenzer’s participation in WAA.
Read More: By localizing It, Bonnie Loy has taken Wreaths Across America to the next level
This year’s event at Ebenezer will be hosted by the Ebenezer Beautification Committee, the Ebenezer Fire Company, and the Lebanon chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. WAA events are open to the public.
Approximately 1,200 wreaths are expected to be placed at Covenant Greenwood Ebenezer, honoring every veteran interred there.
The Covenant Greenwood Cemetery is at 410 Ebenezer Road, about three miles north of Lebanon on Route 72 in Ebenezer. It is operated and maintained by the Covenant United Methodist Church, 346 N. 9th St. in Lebanon.
The majority of WAA wreaths placed locally on Dec. 18 will be at the federally managed Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, which serves the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, and West Virginia.
“With each local event held across the country, volunteers help build community awareness and understanding of the organization’s year-long mission to Remember, Honor, Teach,” Karen Worcester, executive director of Wreaths Across America, said in a press release.
“However, in light of the current health crisis, we feel events like this one have taken on even more meaning by providing the opportunity for people to safely participate in something that is both educational and fun, while supporting and giving back to the community when it is needed most.”
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