Yesterday marked the 291st birthday of the founding father and first president of the United States, George Washington.
A commemoration was held at the Washington Monument on Washington Street NE in Gainesville by the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution Wednesday afternoon.
The event started at 5 p.m. and was sponsored by the Colonel William Candler Chapter, NSDAR and Lyman Hall Chapter, GASSAR.
“In commemorating George Washington's birthday with today's ceremony, we honor a patriot who risked his life over and over in service to the country and advances the cause of independence. Washington was a Virginia labor legislator and revolutionary,” Georgia state First Vice Regent for the Georgia State Society, NSDAR, Helen Powell said during a speech at the event.
This is the 12th commemoration that the chapters have had for George Washington’s birthday at his statue in Gainesville. Each chapter present presented a wreath in honor of the first president.
Retired Captain US Navy Reserve Harley Jones presented a wreath on behalf of the Atlanta Chapter of the Military Order of World Wars. Jones said it was an honor to be a part of a ceremony that helps keep the history of the United States alive.
“It's important for us to do and to pass on down to keep it going because history is history. And we got to remember it. And as we get more and more years, it's less in our history book because there's so much history out there,” Jones said.
George Washington was born in Virginia in 1732 to a planter family according to The White House website. He was instrumental in the independence of the United States of America and served as the first President from 1789 to 1797.
