Wreaths Across America changes format

Posted 11/25/20

For the past four years, Okeechobee has participated faithfully in observing National Wreaths Across America Day...

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.


Already have an account? Log in to continue. Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

Please log in to continue

Log in
I am anchor

Wreaths Across America changes format

Posted

Wreaths Across America – Okeechobee

OKEECHOBEE — For the past four years, Okeechobee has participated faithfully in observing National Wreaths Across America Day, which is held on the third Saturday in December at over 2,400 locations throughout America and across the globe in order to remember and honor our fallen veterans while teaching the youth about the true meaning of service and sacrifice. While Wreaths Across America – Okeechobee remains firmly committed to that mission, given the extenuating circumstances and ongoing public safety concerns that have dominated 2020, this year’s observances will follow an alternative, limited format.

As a locally based, volunteer driven charity event, our successful participation in this program hinges upon our generous citizens and business community. The current year has brought heretofore unseen challenges to bear upon our country, and more specifically our community which finds itself strained, with local businesses doing their best to survive the economic downturn accompanying this year’s unpredicted circumstances. Unsurprisingly, donations and sponsorships for Wreaths Across America – Okeechobee are substantially off the mark presenting an insurmountable shortfall to meeting our fundraising goal. In addition to this year’s financial limitations, the vast majority of participants at our National Wreaths Across America Day ceremony are veterans and their family members who fall within the demographic that is most at risk for COVID-19 complications. Placing our heroes in a position that could potentially cause increased health risks for them is the last thing our local group would want to result from our event.

Planning for this year’s activities has been a fluid and ever-changing process both for us and the National WAA organization, with no easy answers. Given the above considerations, and after lengthy debate, our local fundraising group has made the difficult decision to cancel our public ceremony and instead execute our mission in an improvised format that still remembers and honors our fallen veterans. These improvised plans include placing memorial wreath displays and banners representative of all veterans at key locations within each of our cemeteries and at the veteran memorial in Flagler Park. Additionally, we are working to place flags rather than wreaths at each veteran’s grave marker. All other donations that our group has received this year will be rolled over to next year’s event so your generous contributions are not in vain nor wasted.

While we deeply regret the circumstances and will deeply miss holding our ceremonies, we firmly believe that this course of action still holds true to the WWA mission of remembering our fallen heroes, honoring them and teaching the younger generation the true meaning of service and sacrifice.

wreaths, america, christmas, veterans

Comments

x