GAINESVILLE - Each holiday season, veteran grave sites at Alta Vista cemetery in Gainesville are adorned with wreaths as part of Wreaths Across America.
Local Location Leader Gail Mangum said the non-profit started at Arlington National Cemetery and expanded to local cemeteries to honor the veterans buried there.
"This is our fourth ceremony," said Mangum. "It's normally the second Saturday of every December. Every location within the program, at noon, will observe a moment of silence. After that, we'll have different speakers, and each branch of the military will have a ceremonial wreath... and as many active duty service members as find will go and present the wreaths to their branch of service. After that, volunteers will go out and place the wreaths."
So far for 2015, Mangum said they've got about 200 wreaths sponsored.
"My count right now is about 200, which is down from last year. Last year, I think we had close to 600," said Mangum. "We have about 1200 plus graves in Alta Vista, and our goal is each year just to continue growing the program until one year, we're able to honor every veteran that is in Alta Vista."
Mangum said there's two ways to sponsor a wreath. You can sponsor a specific veteran interred at Alta Vista, like a family member. Or, you can sponsor any wreath online.
The deadline to sponsor a wreath in Monday, November 30.
