By Haley Miller
Remember, honor and teach is the mission of Wreaths Across America, a nonprofit dedicated to showing gratitude to U.S. veterans and their families through wreath-laying ceremonies, education initiatives, memorial services and other acitivities.
“Wreaths Across America is an organization that formed more than 20 years ago to honor veterans, to teach our youth about freedom and the cost of it,” said Gay Hanson, communications chair for Bethel Lutheran Church in Noblesville.
To share its message with the Noblesville community, the Wreaths Across America Mobile Education Exhibit will come to Bethel Lutheran, 20650 Cumberland Rd., from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 9. Admission is free.
The mobile exhibit will feature a screening room with detail about the organization through video and touchscreen computers to show nearby locations and answer common questions. There also will be a wall with information about Wreaths Across America.
This is not Bethel Lutheran’s first experience with the nonprofit. The church’s Missions Committee has previously sponsored wreath laying at Zimmer Cemetery, where 27 veterans dating to the Civil War are buried, according to Hanson. She said that hosting the exhibit continues the church’s tradition of supporting veterans within the congregation and community.
For interested visitors, the exhibit will contain opportunities and information for volunteering with Wreaths Across America. The organization first began laying wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery in 1992 and has since expanded nationwide. The purpose remains the same – to honor veterans and thank them for their sacrifice.
“Remember our fallen U.S. veterans. Honor those who serve. Teach your children the value of freedom,” reads the Wreaths Across America mission statement.
