In 2012 I became involved in a mission which I will be a part of for the rest of my life. As I visited my Dad during his first holiday season at our Sarasota National Cemetery in 2011.
I noticed beautiful wreaths on some, but NOT all headstones. I was informed the Wreaths Across American program is a national program, that is 100% funded by local donations for each National Cemetery.
Our mission this year, that each of our 13,500 Heroes is remembered with a Wreath, when they are placed on Saturday, December 15th at 10am.
We are currently at about 60% of our goal. Please consider sponsoring at least one wreath for $15 or 3 for $30 (at link below). No local HERO should ever be forgotten.
Donations are 100% tax deductible through the 501c 3 - "Family & Friends of the Sarasota National Cemetery", through this website: www.SarasotaWreaths.com
Thank you to all who will also help share this.
Event information for The Wreath Placement on Saturday, December 15th at our Sarasota National Cemetery.
On December 15, 2018 at 10am, Wreaths Across America will be at Sarasota National Cemetery to Remember 18,900 of our country's fallen heroes at their final resting place. Our Remembrance Ceremony begins at 10am.
Then, at approximately 10:45am, Family Members will be the first to place their loved one's wreath, with all volunteers present honoring those families their moments of privacy.
At 11am, the Volunteers will then place the remaining wreaths and when doing so, say the name of each and every veteran aloud and Thank them for their service to our country.
The first step to Volunteering is to SPONSOR a Wreath! Please help our location lay Remembrance Wreaths at 13,500 Veteran's graves by selecting the "Donate" Button on this page. Once on our page, www.SarasotaWreaths.com scroll to the bottom to view the 25 Fundraising Groups supporting Sarasota National Cemetery.
Here you can make a choice as to which organization you will support through either "3 wreaths for every 2 sponsored" or "$5 Back" for every wreath sponsored.
Of the 25 groups registered, 24 groups are registered as "$5 back" Fundraising Group. These groups participate in the Wreath fundraiser to financially supplement programs within their organizations, programs such as Vietnam Veterans Aid, Service Officer Programs for our Veterans, supporting patients at our VA Hospitals, Veteran Relief Funds, assisting with housing and job placement for our veterans, supplementing ROTC, school, scouting and academic extracurricular activities.
Our Mission is to:Remember our Fallen U.S. Veterans, Honor those Men and Women who Serve, and Teach your children the value of Freedom.
Why we Remember...We will never forget....In many homes, there is an empty seat for one who is serving or one who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. There is no better time to express our appreciation than during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. We hope you will join us to show our veterans and their families that we will not forget.
Why we Honor....Why we participate in Wreaths Across America is simple. We have Veterans Day in the fall and Memorial Day in the spring, but our Active Duty service members sacrifice their time and safety every single day of the year to preserve our freedoms. From the Revolutionary War to present day conflicts, our veterans are devoted sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers. They come from all backgrounds in life to place those lives on the line for our freedoms. There are millions of individual stories to tell.
Why we Teach...Wreaths Across America’s mission touches the lives of thousands of school, scout, civic and religious groups across the country through fundraising for wreath sponsorships. These groups help us ensure that we reach our goal to place a wreath on each hero’s grave. In return, they receive fundraising dollars that assist in furthering their own goals and projects.
For questions about donations, corporate sponsorships, questions about our ceremony, or donations and sponsorships at other participating cemeteries please contact me directly.
The Deadline for Wreath Sponsorship is December 3, 2018. I hope all of you will join me in this heartfelt Mission by clicking our Donate button and sponsoring a Wreath, whether it be in Memory of a loved one or in Honor of someone currently serving or who has served. Your generosity costs no more than lunch or dinner and will touch more hearts than you can imagine.
For further information.... Please contact: Meshia A. Richardson, Chairperson and Location Coordinator- Wreaths Across America for Sarasota National Cemetery (941-448-6299)