Medina will place 261 wreaths for veterans at Boxwood Cemetery on Saturday

MEDINA – Saturday in Boxwood Cemetery, veterans and members of the community are invited to gather at noon to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and their families and teach the next generation about the value of freedom.

According to information from Kathy Blackburn, who started the national Wreaths Across America project in Medina, this gathering takes place in local and national cemeteries in all 50 states – most recently at more than 2,000 participating locations as part of National Wreaths Across America Day.

Medina will be placing 261 wreaths at veterans’ graves, the most since it joined the program in 2013. The first year there were seven wreaths at Boxwood. The wreaths cost $15 each.

Each year, a new theme is chosen to help volunteers and supporters focus their messaging and outreach in their own communities. The theme announced for 2020 is “Be an American Worth Fighting For.”

The inspiration for this year’s theme came from a keynote address by Sgt. Daniel Strong during the 2018 escort to Arlington welcome stop at Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School (Monty Tech) in Fitchburg, Mass.

As an infantryman in the United States Marine Corps, Strong lost 18 Marines during his service, three of whom were his friends when he was a lance corporal, six as their squad leader and the remaining nine as their platoon sergeant. Each impacted Strong in a unique way as he witnessed first-hand what true sacrifice was and experienced the ripple effect it has on all involved.