CONTACT: David Weiss
Development Director
(920) 725-8992 ext 28
www.bgbrigade.org
dweiss@bgbrigade.com
Due to the generous support of the Waupaca Foundry and other Waupaca area businesses, over 5,400 veteran graves will be honored with wreaths this holiday season.
Waupaca area businesses have teamed up with the Boys’ & Girls’ Brigade, (operators of Camp Onaway) to add an additional 900 wreaths to those already collected by the American Legion Riders District 8.
“Honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice seems right this time of year,” said Joey Leonard, VP of Human Resources at Waupaca Foundry. “We are so thankful to live and work in this great country.”
A public wreath-laying ceremony, which coincides with the Wreaths Across America ceremony at Arlington Cemetery, will take place at the King cemetery on Dec. 12 starting at 9:30 a.m., and will conclude with the playing of taps, a 21-gun salute, and the presentation of ceremonial wreaths at 11 a.m..
The group ultimately plans to lay wreaths on all of the cemetery’s 6,500 graves, according to American Legion Riders District 8 President Ray McSherry of Wisconsin Rapids. The group encourages families to come out and help with the festivities. McSherry encourages participants to learn about the fallen veterans after wreaths are laid on their graves.
“We tell everybody when they go to lay the wreath, to step back and take a look at the stone and see who the individual is, and write on a piece of paper, or take a picture with their phone, and then go home and research the person, and see who he or she was,” McSherry said.
