Mendenhall, MS - November 20, 2020 – Mendenhall City Cemetery volunteers are working hard to ensure that all veterans laid to rest at the cemetery are honored this December on National Wreaths Across America Day. This year, the ceremony, held simultaneously across the country at more than 1,400 locations, will be on Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 10:00 AM in the cemetery. The goal: to place a live, balsam fir wreath at the headstone of every veteran buried there and spread patriotism and commemoration for the ultimate sacrifices made for our country.
From now through November 30, family, friends, and businesses are urged to sponsor live, balsam fir wreaths to honor more than 300 veterans laid to rest at the cemetery. Each wreath sponsorship is $15 with $5 going to the Mendenhall Cemeteries Association, Inc., (MCA) as part of a special fundraising program offered by Wreaths Across America. MCA uses the earnings to help maintain the cemetery, as it relies solely on donations for upkeep.
Mendenhall City Cemetery has been participating as an official location for Wreaths Across America since 2018. “We are so grateful to the citizens of Mendenhall and surrounding areas for supporting this effort for the last two years and again in 2020,” said Gaye Magee-Sullivan, who serves on the board of MCA, and is also the Location Coordinator for the local program. “It’s very moving to have so many people participate by sponsoring wreaths, attending our ceremony, and volunteering to place the beautiful, live wreaths with red bows on the headstone of veterans.”
The deadline for sponsoring wreaths is November 30. Sponsorship orders may be placed on online at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/MSMCCM. Grave specific requests can be made following the directions during the online order process. Or, contact Gaye Magee-Sullivan, at 214-770-2957 for other sponsorship ordering options or to volunteer to lay wreaths. Wreaths may also be sponsored for graves of veterans not buried in Mendenhall City Cemetery as well. The wreaths sponsored for other cemeteries are shipped to Mendenhall and can be picked up at the cemetery on December 19 between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM.
Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization’s mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well at more than 1,400 veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond.
