Wreaths Across America leaders seek donations with match money available

With time running out on a national Wreaths Across America dollar-for-dollar match campaign, local organizers are hoping to raise enough donations to honor hundreds more veterans at Rusk County ceremonies now being planned for next December.

Through the Wreaths Across America program, local organizers last month were successful in placing almost 500 wreaths at cemeteries in Ingram and Ladysmith, as well as a few other smaller observances in the area. Next winter, they hope to lay wreaths at every veteran’s grave in Ladysmith and Ingram in addition to a new observance planned at the cemetery in Tony. 

Organizers calculate they will need about 1,020 wreaths total and are now fundraising to make it so. They are hoping to take advantage of a Wreaths Across America offer of a dollar-for-dollar donation match through Jan. 15. This means for each wreath funded through donations through the rest of this week local organizers can receive a second wreath at essentially no additional cost.

Wreaths are priced at $15 each, and organizers say on social media they currently have enough funds to purchase 892 wreaths through the match.  

Local organizers see this match campaign through the national organization as a significant opportunity to achieve their fundraising goal for next winter.

“We need $960, or 64 wreaths,” to reach our goal,” said Wreaths Across America Ingram Site Coordinator Patti Bisson.

Last Wednesday, AMVETS Vacho-Lybert Post 127 in Ladysmith made a $2,000 donation to local Wreaths Across America organizers. The match will double this donation to $4,000 to help local organizers reach their goal. Organizers also  have received several substantial anonymous donations.

Bisson, who spearheaded Wreaths Across America in Ingram two years ago, thanked everybody that helped in any way during our Wreaths Across America ceremonies held in the county.

“I think this is one way we can fill up all the wreaths is with the buy-one, get one,” Bisson saidat last month’s ceremony at Riverside Cemetery. “Thank you all who have supported us the past three years.”

This year was the third wreaths observance in the county.

Judy Novak and Linda Serak are helping coordinate wreaths activities in Tony in December 2021.

Contributions to the Rusk County Wreaths Across America program can be made through the Veterans Memorial Association/Drop Zone Bar & Grill, 605 Summit Ave., Ladysmith, WI, 54848. For more information, contact AMVETS Post 127 Commander John Vacho at 715-415-4580 or at john.vacho@yahoo.com.