Wreaths still needed for remembrance day

With 10 days remaining before this year’s Wreaths of America remembrance at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial and the Churchill County cemeteries, organizers said donations are still needed to ensure every veteran’s resting spot has a wreath.

“We have a little ways to go,” said Brett Palmer, president of the Nevada Veterans Coalition, which raises funds for the wreaths and works with volunteers to place them on the gravesites or at the columbarium.

The NVC said 8,700 veterans are interred at the NNVMC, and another 1,300 at Fallon. Palmer said the Wreaths Across America is Dec. 14. The event begins at 9 a.m. at the NNVMC and noon at the Churchill County Cemetery.

Palmer said volunteers from Naval Air Station Fallon, the Nevada National Guard, U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps and the Civil Air Patrol assist the coalition during the 30-minute ceremony and with the placement of wreaths.

To order a wreath for the NNVMC event, go to nnvc.org and click on Wreaths Across America for the pdf form, or mail your donation to: Nevada Veterans Coalition; P.O. Box 415; Fernley, NV 89408.

The Fallon remembrance is short of wreaths, said organizer Lisa Bedell. To prepare for the Dec. 14 remembrance, she has been flagging headstones so visitors will know the location of each veteran’s gravesite. She said flags will mark the placement for each wreath.

By staggering the time to noon, Devall said guests and volunteers can also attend the Fernley remembrance. She said Fallon’s event will be conducted between the two white buildings located at the northern end of the Churchill County Cemetery.

Devall said sponsorship levels are individual or $15 for one wreath; family, four wreaths, $60; small business, 10 wreaths, $150; and corporate, 100 wreaths for $1,500.

To order, go to www.wreathsacrossamerica.com. The group ID is NV0063, and the location ID is NVCHCC. Devall said the group and location IDs must be entered so the wreaths are earmarked for Fallon.

Devall said she is also looking for volunteers to assist. They may email her at ldevalllily@yahoo.com.

This year’s theme is “Everyone Plays a Part.” According to the national Wreaths Across America campaign, “Those serving in the military are doing their part, but it is our part as Americans to remember and honor them, and that’s what Wreaths Across America is all about.”