900 Wreaths delivered for veterans

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) -About 900 wreaths were dropped off at Riverside Cemetery Monday afternoon in preparation for National Wreaths Across America Day on Saturday.

George Whitaker, from Ocala, Florida, drove to  Columbia, Maine to pick up Christmas wreaths.

“It’s an honor to be a part of it,” Whitaker said. “It’s a joy, it really is.”

He drove about 1,400 miles to deliver wreaths that will sit on grave sites of fallen soldiers.

“It’s for the guys that gave everything, to basically make us free, help us be free,” Whitaker said.

It’s part of Wreaths Across America, a non-profit that originally began donating wreaths to the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C in 1992. Now, they’re expected to deliver 1.2 million wreaths across the nation. One of the locations, being Riverside Cemetery.

“There are about 4,000 veterans out here,” said event director of Riverside Cemetery, Steve Bell. “We’ll place about 900 wreaths, where people have donated wreaths. Some are very specific for family members out here, some are just general donations.”

On Saturday, people will be able to place wreaths on grave-sites of soldiers. They will say names out loud in order to remember, honor, and teach. All of which Don Wilson from Patriot Guard Riders will being doing with his children.

“This is a way to bring our children up with respect and values and understand the sacrifice that our veterans make when they sign the dotted line,” Wilson said.

That’s part of the reason Whitaker doesn’t mind driving across state lines. Spreading Christmas cheer and remembrance.

The ceremony will be held at Riverside Cemetery at 12pm, Saturday, December 17th. You can still donate a wreath by contacting Riverside Cemetery (478) 742-5328.