WELLINGTON, Fla. — At the South Florida National Cemetery, more than 45,500 veterans are laid to rest. This December, the local Wreaths Across America committee hopes to honor each one with a remembrance wreath or a pebble placed at their headstone — but the time to act is now.
The ceremony is set for Saturday, Dec. 13 at noon in the Assembly Area of the cemetery. Volunteers will place wreaths on most graves, and pebbles on Jewish headstones in keeping with national Judaic tradition.
This year’s goal is 38,000 wreaths and 8,000 pebbles. As of late September, just 2,355 wreaths have been sponsored, meaning the effort is already thousands short of the target.
Last year’s ceremony fell short by 8,000 wreaths. One common misconception in the community is that the VA or federal government purchases these wreaths — in fact, they’re funded entirely through donations from individuals, businesses, and corporations.
The local committee has a handful of corporate contributions expected to arrive in October when budgets reset, but they say early sponsorships from individuals are critical to meeting the holiday deadline. Another option is the “Grave Specific Wreath” program, where sponsors can designate a wreath for a specific veteran’s grave.
How to help
Sponsor a wreath at wreathsacrossamerica.org — select South Florida National Cemetery (FL0017).
Join and share updates from the Facebook group: Wreaths Across America at South Florida National Cemetery (WAA SFNC).
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