Ceremony set for Saturday at Coral Ridge Cemetery
A national campaign honoring veterans will be celebrated in Southwest Florida this weekend, with numerous veteran groups and volunteers taking part.
A national campaign honoring veterans will be marked in Southwest Florida this weekend, with numerous veteran groups and volunteers taking part.
Wreaths Across America, whose mission is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve, and teach the next generation the value of freedom, will see thousands of ceremonies take place across the country, at sea, and abroad this Saturday.
Coral Ridge Funeral Home & Cemetery in Cape Coral will host its annual Wreaths Across America Ceremony in coordination with National Cemeteries at noon. The wreath placement will begin 11 a.m. on Dec. 13 in the Veterans Honor Garden, at 950 Chiquita Blvd S. The event is free and open to the public.
“It’s a very meaningful and heartfelt day,” said Coral Ridge Director and Air Force veteran Chuck Warren. “It’s a true honor and a privilege to participate in this.
“It’s our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the men and women who have served and are resting in our cemetery. We hope the families who join us for our ceremony gain a deeper appreciation for the importance of honoring our military, whether it’s those currently serving or veterans who served in the past.”
The event at Coral Ridge is to remember and honor veterans through the laying of remembrance wreaths on the graves of fallen heroes, with the act of saying the name of every veteran aloud.
According to Wreaths Across America, there are approximately 8,000 veteran graves in Lee County.
The service will bring community leaders and veteran’s organizations together to honor those who have served with honor and distinction.
American Legion Post 136 St. James City and Knights of Columbus Assembly 2115 Cape Coral will serve as Honor and Color Guard; SFC Austin White, USA (R), is the Master of Ceremonies; 1SG Juan Cordero, USA (R), will serve as the Chaplain; Annette Warren, USAF Veteran, will lead the Pledge of Allegiance, and a motorcycle ride-in will be done by the American Legion and Patriot Guard Riders.
Warren said the first time he and his wife Annette, who also is a veteran, experienced a Wreaths Across America Day, they were blown away.
“It was an awe-inspiring honor to be a part of that,” Warren said. “We were fully engaged and wound up staying for a couple of hours. From that day on, it was a hard-hitting message that we need to make sure we’re doing what we can for our veterans. We want to make sure we’re honoring the people that have sacrificed.”
Volunteers are needed, and play a large role in the ceremony. Volunteers will join tens of thousands across the nation in placing wreaths on the markers of fallen heroes. As volunteers place each wreath, they will “say their name” to ensure that the legacy of duty, service, and sacrifice of each veteran is never forgotten.
“It’s very important that we educate and teach volunteers, especially the youth, to show them how honorable it is to be able to give that respect that is so deserved,” Warren said. “We’re able to do what we do every day because of veterans. They decided to give their life and serve.”
Coral Ridge invites families and volunteers of all ages to come and share in the patriotic experience.
“We really appreciate the community’s support in allowing us to do this and participating,” Warren said.
There will also be a Wreaths Across America ceremony on the water locally.
“Operation: Tribute at Sea” also takes place on Dec. 13. Southwest Florida was the first designated “float” location within the Wreaths Across America organization.
There will be a staging at Horton Park, at 2600 SE 26th Place, starting at 10:45 a.m., and also a ceremony at Eco Park, at 2500 SE 24th St., at noon. Volunteers are needed to lay wreaths at the monuments at Eco Park.
There will also be Wreaths Across America ceremonies starting at noon at Fort Myers Memorial Gardens, Hodges Funeral Home, and Fort Myers Cemetery.
Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992.
The organization’s year-round mission — Remember, Honor, Teach — is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at more than 5,500 participating locations in all 50 states and overseas.
Volunteers are encouraged to show up at any Wreaths Across America ceremony location at 10 a.m. to take part.
Starting on Dec. 13 running through Dec. 31, Wreaths Across America will match all veterans’ wreaths sponsored through a registered WAA Sponsorship Group for placement on next year’s National Wreaths Across America Day.
For more information, visit wreathsacrossamerica.org.
To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com