Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Wreath for Vets event.
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It’s a special time of year, with Veterans Day and Thanksgiving this month and Christmas just around the bend. Despite the strain and strangeness of 2020, there are still so many blessings to go around, and we here at the Shine Team have an upcoming project that we wanted to share with you.
We support many charities, local foundations, schools, and community initiatives, but our favorite is Wreaths for Vets, which is put on by the Friends of Central Texas Veterans Cemetery. I was fortunate enough to found that association back in 2006 when we discovered a need for compassionate, patriotic members of the community to lay wreaths at as many gravesites in the cemetery as possible; no veteran’s sacrifices should ever go unrecognized.
We started at 394 gravesites, and we’re now at 11,000. Our purpose is to always honor and remember our veterans, fallen soldiers, and their family members, and to teach our young people to do the same.Help us lay wreaths on gravesites as a way to offer profound thanks to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 28, for this year’s Wreath for Vets event, where we will lay over 11,000 wreaths. We invite you to join us because, as you can imagine, a memorial of this magnitude will take a lot of volunteers. Below is the updated timeline for the entire wreath-laying process this year (pending changes due to the current pandemic):
Saturday, November 21:
1000 - Wreath Prep at Killeen Special Events Center on WS Young
Saturday, November 28:
0730 - Escort departs Killeen Special Events Center with wreath trucks
0745 - Captain’s update
0800 - Wreath trucks arrive
0815 - Wreath download begins
1000 - Informal ceremony
1020 (approximately) - UTC volunteers lay wreaths
1200 (approximately) - Clean up cemetery
KISD and Texas A&M Central Texas have provided bus service to the cemetery, so we welcome you, your family, and your friends to park at A&M and utilize this transportation. The police have asked that you do not park on the highway for this event, as doing so is extremely dangerous.
Please wear your mask and social distance as much as possible; we’re very fortunate that the state of Texas is still allowing us to do this event, so we want to do our part by adhering to all the current rules and regulations regarding public safety.
For the wreath preparation on November 21, please bring a folding table to use as a workspace if you have one to spare, as we will be in need of extras. Preparation could be as quick as 90 minutes or as long as three hours—it all depends on how many ready and willing volunteers show up. We’ll be prepping the wreaths and loading them into the trailers for delivery on that Saturday after Thanksgiving.
We can promise you one thing: This event is far from sad. You’ll be deeply moved and filled with a sense of pride and hope when you see thousands of people coming together to express a gratitude deeper than words.
In the past, some folks have asked how they can support this event and The Friends of Central Texas Veterans Cemetery financially. We do need your financial support, especially this year, with COVID slowing down donations a bit. Please visit www.wreathsforvets.org to make a donation and find more information.
We truly hope you come out on Saturday, November 28, to help us lay wreaths on gravesites as a way to offer profound thanks to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Of course, if you have any questions about this event, please just give us a call or send an email. We’d love to help you. Have a wonderful holiday season!
