Civil Air Patrol Fundraising for Veteran Wreaths

Civil Air Patrol’s Putnam County Composite Squadron is working hard to ensure that all veterans laid to rest at Raymond Hill Cemetery are honored this December on National Wreaths Across America Day. This year, the ceremony, held simultaneously across the country at more than 1,200 locations, will be on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017. The goal: to place a live, balsam fir wreath at the headstone of every veteran buried there and spread patriotism and commemoration for the ultimate sacrifices they made for our country.

Squadron members are conducting a fundraiser on November 18 & 19, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at ShopRite, 184 Route 52 in Carmel, New York to sponsor the 600 wreaths needed to honor every veteran at Raymond Hill Cemetery. An additional 30 wreaths are needed to honor Revolutionary War veterans, including American hero and patriot spy Enoch Crosby, at Gilead Cemetery.

“Every donation and wreath sponsorship is a meaningful gift from an appreciative supporter who knows what it means to serve and sacrifice for the freedoms we all enjoy,” said Karen Worcester, executive director of Wreaths Across America. “We are so grateful to the community of Putnam County for participating in our mission to Remember, Honor and Teach.”

“Wreaths can also be purchased online through November 26, on the squadron Wreaths Across America fundraising page,” said Captain Elena MacDermant, Putnam County Composite Squadron Commander. Visit www.facebook.com/PutnamCountyCompositeSquadron for instructions.

National Wreaths Across America Day is a free event, open to all. For more information, to donate or volunteer to place wreaths, contact Capt. MacDermant at (845) 216-5433 or email elenamac@aol.com. Members of the Putnam County Composite Squadron meet on Friday’s from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Paladin Center, 39 Seminary Hill Road, Carmel, NY.

Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization’s mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at more than 1,200 veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond.

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force. In this role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 aircraft, performs about 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 80 lives annually. CAP’s 57,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. CAP also plays a leading role in aerospace/STEM education, and its members serve as mentors to 24,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. Visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com for more information.