The Wreaths Across America event, held on December 14th at Ruskin Cemetery and other local cemeteries, was a resounding success. As reported in the December 5th issue of *The Observer News*, over 200 volunteers coordinated by Walt Cawein and Nicole Humphreys participated in laying wreaths to honor veterans. This year’s event, the second of its kind, involved a diverse group of volunteers including veterans’ organizations (MOAA, MOWW, VFW, Bob’s Vets, Order of the Purple Heart), youth groups (Civil Air Patrol, East Bay JROTC, Scouting America, Trail Life, 4-H, US Naval Sea Cadets, USCG Auxiliary), and local businesses such as Mission Barbecue and Sunbelt. Vanguard Audio Visual provided sound for the ceremony.
Special guests included 99-year-old Harry Demeza and 102-year-old Maurice Lanouette, both World War II Army veterans. Riverview Mission BBQ, which provided lunch for the volunteers, also laid a wreath in honor of a veteran.
Wreath pickup will take place at Ruskin Cemetery (1st St. SW, Ruskin) on January 3rd at 9 a.m. Looking ahead to December 13th, 2025, donations made for wreaths between now and January 17th will be matched, doubling the impact of each contribution. For more information, visit: https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/159807/Overview/?relatedId=17943997
(Photos accompanying the original article are described below, but are not included in this rewritten version.)