GIRARD — Nearly 100 people came to Girard City Cemetery on Saturday for the annual Wreaths Across America event, joining more than 4,200 locations across the country that sponsored programs to honor our nation’s heroes.

The Girard ceremony was sponsored by Girard American Legion Post 235 and Blackstone Funeral Home.

Niles also sponsored an event at Niles Union Cemetery attended by more than 150 people.

Blackstone funeral director Kathy Blackstone-Tomasino said they started participating four years ago to honor World War I veterans, who were less likely to have family members to pay their respects. It has since expanded to all 1,100 veterans buried in the cemetery.

She expressed gratitude to all the donors and volunteers, including Pitt Ohio trucking.

“We had 118 boxes of wreaths in the garage and they came to haul them up,” Blackstone said.

Tom Blackstone wears two hats. He performs various duties at the funeral home and said, “I do whatever my sister needs me to do.”

He is also a driver for Pitt Ohio. He said he was happy to give up his Saturday to unload the truck and distribute the wreaths.

“It is beautiful to have so many people contribute to this,” Tom Blackstone said.

Bruce Smith of Mercer, Pa., another Pitt Ohio employee, echoed his appreciation.

“Usually the weather is not as nice as it is today, but we still get a great turnout,” he said.

Among the participants was a large contingent of students from the Girard High School Beta Club, accompanied by teacher and adviser Eric Pellegrini.

Beta Club member Dylan Hogan, 16, said he has an uncle in the Army, which makes it more personal.

“I feel for the families of the veterans, especially during Christmas when they want to be connected to them,” he said.

Before the volunteers got to work, Kevin Hubler of the American Legion led a brief service. An Honor Guard provided a 21-gun salute and a bugler played taps. Representatives laid wreaths in front of the chapel for each branch of the military.

Hubler lives in Howland but grew up in Girard, and he served in the military from 1978 to 1981.

“I do this to give my respect to these people who have served our country, as well as to remind everyone that freedom is not something that can be taken for granted,” Hubler said.

Looking out at the graves, Hubler said, “There’s a huge cost, and this is the cost.”

NILES

The military veterans buried in Niles Union Cemetery were acknowledged for their sacrifice and service to their country by the mayor, his administration, local residents, fellow veterans and their family members with wreaths at their gravestones.

Mayor Steve Mientkiewicz described his reason for participating in Wreaths Across America for the past three years.

“It is a nice tribute to recognize our veterans around the holiday, especially those veterans who may not have family to display a holiday wreath,” Mientkiewicz said.

Created in 2007, out of Maine, Wreaths Across America’s mission is to “Remember the fallen, honor those who serve and teach the next generation the value of freedom.”

The inspiration for the nonprofit occurred when Morrill Worcester, owner of the Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine, had an overabundance of wreaths and recalled a trip that he took to Arlington National Cemetery as a child. He thought of the good life he had because of the sacrifices the veterans made. He sent his wreaths there to be placed on the graves of soldiers in Arlington that received fewer visitors.

He continued placing wreaths at Arlington and in 2005, a photo of thousands of wreaths placed on graves in the snow went viral. People around the country contacted him to learn how to have similar events at cemeteries around the country.

This year, more than 3 million volunteers placed wreaths at headstones in more than 4,200 cemeteries.

Before the laying of the wreaths, Mientkiewicz made opening remarks thanking the veterans for their service. Taps was played, and the combined Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2074 and American Legion Post 106 honored the interred veterans with a 21-gun salute.

Derek Rieser of Niles, a U.S. Navy veteran and chairman of the Niles Veterans Advisory Board, who served as master of ceremonies, began his speech by asking, “What is a veteran? They are a person who gives a blank check to their country up until giving their life to keep us all safe.”

Reminding young people in attendance about the importance of the contribution of veterans in protecting our freedoms and combating terrorism, hatred and injustice, he quoted President Ronald Reagan: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

Representatives of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines, U.S. Air Force, Coast Guard, Space Force, Merchant Marines, Niles first responders and POW/MIA placed a wreath in the veterans area of the cemetery.

Stephanie Furano, Niles Wreaths Across America coordinator, instructed volunteers to say the name out loud of the service member as they placed the wreath. This is a way to say thank you for their military participation, she said.

Sponsors can still participate in a wreath match through Jan. 16, 2024, in which sponsorships will be matched one-for-one from the national Wreaths Across America organization. For more information, contact Furano at 330-544-9000, extension 1154 or visit www.wreathsacross

america.org/

National Wreaths Across America Day 2024 will

be Dec. 14.