Hundreds of wreaths to be placed on veterans’ graves in Valentine Saturday
VALENTINE, Neb. - Volunteers in Valentine will help honor veterans Saturday by placing hundreds of wreaths on their graves as part of the national Wreaths Across America campaign. The annual event has grown significantly over the years; last year, more than 4,900 locations across the country took part.
Organizers are encouraging the public to attend and help, noting that it takes many hands to place the large number of wreaths. A brief ceremony will begin at 11:00 a.m. at Mt. Hope Cemetery, with wreath placement immediately afterward.
The tradition started more than three decades ago when Morrill Worcester, a wreath maker from Maine, donated 5,000 wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery. The effort remained largely unnoticed until 2005, when a photo of wreaths laid across snow-covered headstones spread nationwide, turning the gesture into a coast-to-coast tradition.
