Colony Club Of Ocean City Lays Wreaths For Veterans

OCEAN CITY, NJ — The Colony Club of Ocean City remembered and honored area veterans by laying wreaths across graves as part of this year's Wreaths Across America ceremony.

For the third consecutive year, the Colony Club laid wreaths at the Gerald M. Thornton Veterans Cemetery of Cape May County.

Each December, the Wreaths Across America organization asks local groups to remember and honor veterans by conducting wreath- laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as at more than 3,500 additional locations in all 50 states.

“The Colony Club was pleased to again have the opportunity to join a grateful nation in saying ‘thank you’ to our veterans,” said Cathy Solarski, Chair of her club’s Wreaths Across America Committee. “Our members partnered with the American Legion Post 524 Auxiliary, The Exchange Club of Ocean City and the Godfrey Funeral Homes to donate and place 219 wreaths, which were combined with additional wreaths from the national Wreaths Across America group.”

Fifteen Colony Club members, friends and family joined several American Legion participants at the Dec. 17 wreath laying ceremony, the Colony Club said in a release.

Following an introduction by David Louderback, Director of Cape May County Division of Veterans’ Services, the Middle Township High School Navy Cadet Program and Cape May County Air Patrol Squadron, presented the colors and played "Taps."

After reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and singing "God Bless America," participants fanned out across the 17.6 acre cemetery grounds to salute interred veterans and place wreaths on more than 600 grave markers.

The wreaths are hand-crafted of balsam vines and hand-tied with red velvet bows at the Wreaths Across America headquarters in Columbia Falls, Maine, and then shipped to each ceremony location.

The program was begun in 1992 to help teach American history, what it means to serve in the military and to understand the value of freedom.

More information about the Colony Club of Ocean City can be found at: https://colonyclubocnj.wordpre... . Meetings are held the third Monday of each month at 6:45 PM in Room 111 of the Ocean City Free Public Library 1735 Simpson Avenue, Ocean City, NJ.