Every year, volunteers with Wreaths Across America honor Highlands’ veterans in December with a ceremony.
Event organizer Phil Potts said they are now accepting sponsorships for wreaths.
“Wreaths Across America is a national company started by a wreath company out of Maine,” Potts said. “They honor veterans every year with Christmas wreaths. They started back in 1992 taking some wreaths to Arlington. Then, it grew and grew until 2005 they had an iconic photo of a bunch of wreaths on the white snow at Arlington, VA. That really started this national movement.”
In 2016, a group of Highlands Boy Scouts and their parents traveled to Arlington, VA., to participate in Wreaths Across America.
“We were already putting flags for veterans at Highlands Cemetery,” Potts said. “We just thought it was a no brainer, we needed to do this too and now this will be our fifth year doing it.”
During the ceremony each year, Potts said he is reminded of the three parts to the Wreaths Across America mission - remember, honor and teach.
“Remember all of those that made the sacrifice and gave up their lives, honor all veterans and teach the next generation about the sacrifices that all of the people in the armed services gave for us,” Potts said. “We have about five or six generations of us up here, so I know I have to keep it up. I have to keep up the mission in honor of all of my family.”
Potts said sponsoring a wreath is a good way to appreciate local veterans.
“There are a lot of folks in the area that want to do something during Christmas,” Potts said. “We put out flags during Veteran’s Day, but this is a nice way to honor these veterans during Christmas.”
The event is used as a way to fundraise money for the local Boy Scout Troop, a way to donate money to the local American Legion Post 370 and a way to donate to local non-profits.
“This year we are working on fundraising to update some of the lighting on the flag poles at the cemetery and the ball field,” Potts said.
To sponsor wreaths, sign up to volunteer or to get information on the event scan the QR code below with your phone, to get to the Wreaths across America webpage.
Or visit the groups Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WAAHighlandsNC for paper order forms and updates on the event.
Any questions about sponsoring wreaths or the event please contact Phil Potts, Highlands location coordinator, at 828-200-9753 or ppotts63@frontier.com
- By Christopher Smith