Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
East Hill and East Hill North cemeteries will again take part in National Wreaths Across America Day, joining more than 4,900 participating locations nationwide for the annual remembrance event on Saturday, Dec. 13.
Local volunteers and sponsorship groups have spent the year raising funds to place more than 500 veterans’ wreaths on the headstones of service members laid to rest in the two cemeteries. The event supports Wreaths Across America’s mission to “Remember, Honor, Teach,” ensuring the stories and sacrifices of veterans are not forgotten.
A brief ceremony will begin at noon in the Veterans’ Garden behind the Salem Museum & Historical Society at 801 E. Main St. After the program, volunteers will place wreaths on graves in East Hill and East Hill North cemeteries, both located beside the museum.
Mayor Renee Turk is expected to participate, along with veterans, active-duty service members, families and community volunteers.
Local corporate sponsors supporting the effort include PODS Moving and Storage, ALCOVA Mortgage, Hall Associates, Salem Printing, R.M. Johnson & Sons Inc. Jewelers, and Fast Laundry and Cleaning Services.
Wreaths Across America is a nonprofit organization founded to continue the wreath-laying tradition at Arlington National Cemetery, begun in 1992 by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester. The organization now coordinates similar ceremonies at thousands of veterans’ cemeteries and sites across the country each December.
