Wreaths Across America honors local veterans on December 16 in Niceville

NICEVILLE, Fla. — On Saturday, Wreaths Across America will host a joint ceremony honoring veterans buried at Heritage Gardens Funeral Home & Cemetery in Niceville and Sunset Cemetery in Valparaiso. The joint ceremony is scheduled at Heritage Gardens, beginning at 11 a.m.

Following the unified ceremony, attendees will have the opportunity to lay wreaths on veterans’ graves at both Heritage Gardens and Sunset Cemetery. The community is warmly invited to pay tribute to our local fallen heroes by participating in the special local wreath-laying events or volunteering on Wreaths Day, said Dora Carrano of Niceville, the local event organizer.

Every December, on National Wreaths Across America Day, wreath-laying ceremonies are organized not only at Arlington National Cemetery but also at over 2,500 additional locations nationwide, including all 50 U.S. states, at sea, and abroad.

This marks the second year of wreath-laying at the cemeteries in Niceville and Valparaiso. Currently, there are 563 local veterans’ graves set to be adorned with wreaths: 333 at Sunset Cemetery and 230 at Heritage Gardens.

Wreaths are generously sponsored through donations from family and friends of fallen heroes, individuals, businesses, and various local fundraising events organized by Carrano and supporters of the local effort.

The Ceremony:

Cathy Alley, Niceville City Councilwoman, will extend a warm welcome to attendees. The ceremony will showcase the participation of the Niceville High School JROTC and the American Heritage Girls.

Ceremony Time:

The ceremony will commence promptly at 11 a.m., aligned with the start time at Arlington National Cemetery. All attendees are requested to be present 15 minutes before the start time, and volunteers are encouraged to arrive one hour prior to the ceremony.

Volunteers:

There are still available volunteer positions, including roles such as wreath layers and wreath clean-up. Volunteers are needed on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for preparations.

Sunset Cemetery is located on Live Oak Avenue in Valparaiso, while Heritage Gardens Funeral Home & Cemetery is situated at 2201 Partin Drive North in Niceville.

For more information on volunteering, please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/FLHGFH (to support Heritage Gardens) or www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/FLSUNC (to support Sunset Cemetery).

For inquiries, Carrano can be reached at wreathsacrossamerica850@gmail.com.