LAKE COUNTY — Wreaths Across America (WAA) has helped honor the memories of veterans buried at Hartley Cemetery during the holiday season since 2006 and moved to Kelseyville Cemetery last year. Lower Lake Cemetery is the next cemetery that will honor its veterans in the Wreaths Across America movement in Lake County this year.
This year the Clear Lake High School (CLHS) senior class, Boy Scout Troop 45 in Kelseyville and the 4-H group is joining Boy Scout Troop 42 in Lakeport to attain wreaths for the veterans” graves at each cemetery. Last year nearly 700 wreaths were placed on veterans” gravesites at Hartley and Kelseyville cemeteries, mostly sponsored by county residents, businesses and organizations.
Hartley Cemetery has approximately 500 veterans” gravesites, Kelseyville Cemetery has approximately 490 veterans” gravesites and Lower Lake is the oldest of the cemeteries and has more than 1,000 veterans” gravesites.
Toni Funderburg, coordinator of WAA, said that last year”s goal was 457 wreaths. Nearly 700 wreaths were placed on gravesites at Hartley and Kelseyville cemeteries and were left on the gravesites through the holiday season. According to Funderburg, this year”s goal is 1,000, which will go to the cemeteries designated on the sponsorship forms. The public”s help is needed to meet this goal.
Boy Scout troops 42 and 45 and the Lake County 4-H group will accept donations for wreaths until Thanksgiving Day.
Individual sponsorships cost $15 for one wreath and the family option costs $60 for four wreaths. Small businesses can fund 10 wreaths for $150 and corporations can sponsor 100 or more wreaths for $1,500 or any amount can be sponsored for $15 per wreath.
Sponsorship forms can be picked up at Lakeport Tire & Auto Service, located at 1901 S. Main St. in Lakeport. The form may be faxed or emailed by calling 263-5422.
People who use Facebook may go to Wreaths Across America ? Lake County and select the “Sponsor a Wreath” tab to download the form. Checks must be made to Wreaths Across America.
Scouts and volunteers from other organizations are scheduled to place the wreaths on Dec. 14 with ceremonies at all three cemeteries set for Dec. 15 at 9 a.m. as will 750 participating locations in all 50 states and 24 national veteran cemeteries on foreign soil.
It is the goal of the boy scouts, CLHS seniors and 4-H members to place as many wreaths as possible on veterans” gravesites or provide people with a wreath that can be placed at any cemetery so that the veterans are not forgotten during the holiday season.
