Wreaths Across America Faces Shortage at Sarasota and Bay Pines National Cemeteries

Wreaths Across America Shortage

• ⚠️ Organizers for Wreaths Across America are in desperate need of more wreaths for Bay Pines National Cemetery.
• 🎯 Sarasota National Cemetery is less than halfway to its goal, and Bay Pines is not even 25% there.
• 🗓️ The deadline for wreath donations is the end of the day on Sunday.

Honoring Veterans

• 🇺🇸 The annual tradition aims to place a wreath on each veteran's grave site to honor their sacrifice during the holiday season.
• 🌲 Wreaths are made from furs, symbolizing everlasting respect for fallen heroes.
• 🎗️ Ronald Lee Case, a Civil Air Patrol captain, coordinates efforts at Bay Pines, driven by her brother Billy, a Vietnam veteran buried there.

Challenges and Efforts

• 💰 Sponsoring all 35,000 wreaths has been difficult, with only 13% covered less than a week before the deadline.
• 🚛 Volunteers and truckers are making efforts to pick up wreaths from Maine, some traveling on their own dime.
• 💲 Each wreath costs $17.

Ceremony Details

• 📅 The ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, December 13th.
• 🎖️ Veterans representing different organizations will be present, with the last wreath honoring POWs and MIAs who never came home.