Vets to be honored at Royal Memorial Gardens Cemetery

ROYAL CITY — An idea that all started after hearing a story on the news last Christmas is now coming to fruition in Royal City as wreaths will be placed on the graves of veterans buried in Royal Memorial Gardens this coming holiday season.

Long time area residents, Kirk and Brenda Wilson, were first inspired with the idea after hearing a story on the news about the Wreaths Across America program. Wreaths Across America is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to remembering and honoring fallen veterans. With the help of donations, the organization supplies wreaths to cemeteries across the nation to be placed at the gravesides of veterans each holiday season.

“This is strictly for veterans,” said Kirk.

Shortly thereafter, Kirk launched a fundraiser on Facebook to begin raising donations to supply Royal Memorial Gardens with wreaths.

This will be a first for the cemetery, as wreaths have not been displayed before.

“We can’t do enough for our veterans,” said Kirk.

Kirk explained that of the 750 people buried at Royal Memorial Gardens, 85 of them are veterans. The Wilsons hope to raise enough money to supply each of those grave sites with a wreath. Kurt said the wreaths would be delivered in November, and an official ceremony will be conducted by guest speakers who will pay tribute to the veterans, along with a Color Guard that will present arms at the laying of each wreath Dec. 15. The wreaths will remain graveside until Jan. 7.

Anyone interested in attending or volunteering to help place wreaths are welcome to attend said Kirk. A few players on the Royal High School football team will also be on hand to help set up during the ceremony and again in January to help pick up the wreaths.

For those interested in making a donation, visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org and select Royal Memorial Garden Cemetery as the location, and enter the code WARMGC to donate.

For more information on the program, contact Kirk Wilson at 509-989-9802.