Chamber leads effort to place 12,000 wreaths at Fort Smith National Cemetery

Editor’s note: The following is a press release issued Tuesday afternoon by the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce.
 
On Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 citizens of the Greater Fort Smith Region are invited to help honor the servicemen and women of our community, who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. Family, friends and volunteers will transform the Fort Smith National Cemetery by placing one wreath on each of the 12,000 headstones in their honor.

Families of service members are welcome on the morning of Dec. 12, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. to place a wreath on their family member’s gravesite. Friends and volunteers are welcome from 9:30 a.m. until the final wreath is placed. At 11 a.m. we will have a short ceremony honoring the various branches of the military. In addition, there will be a candlelight vigil at 5:30 p.m. the following Monday, Dec. 14 for friends, family and our community. We encourage and welcome everyone to join us for these special and memorable events.

“Christmas Honors” was derived from Wreaths Across America where as part of the program, the Arlington National Cemetery’s gravesites are decorated every Christmas season with wreaths with red ribbons to honor those who have given their lives to provide the freedoms we enjoy in our beloved Nation. The cemetery is transformed into a vision of beauty, and the families of those buried at Arlington take comfort in seeing the respect that is shown to their grandfathers, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends and other fallen heroes who so loved our Country.

Fort Smith has a national cemetery that receives very little attention during the Christmas season. In fact, a small handful of gravesites are all that enjoy the beauty of Christmas decorations. Otherwise, the cemetery is barren of any symbols of appreciation to those who served our Country.

The Education and Quality of Place Division of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce decided that this year would be different. The first partner in this initiative was Walmart. The company generously provided the 12,000 wreaths and ribbons needed to decorate each grave site in the Fort Smith National Cemetery at a reduced cost and, furthermore, shipped the wreaths to Fort Smith at no charge.

Each of you can help transform our cemetery into a vision of beauty for our community by donating funds to cover the costs associated with the wreaths and bows or donate your time to help with wreath assembly and placement. Your donation will fulfill several years of awe-inspiring Christmases at the Fort Smith National Cemetery!

Donations are being accepted at the following locations:
• Arvest Bank – All locations
• First National Bank of Fort Smith – All locations
• Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce – Located at 612 Garrison Ave.  Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901 783-3111

Please make all checks/payments payable to “Christmas Honors”
c/o the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Tax ID #: 71-0029620

Volunteers are greatly needed and appreciated to help with wreath assembly and placement. For more information or if you would like to participate in this rewarding effort, please contact:
General Information – Philip Merry, 479-926-0939
Donation Information – Whitney Yoder, 479-783-3111
Volunteer Information – Sheri Neely, 479-650-5781