This year 1,575 beautiful veterans Christmas wreaths were purchased,  (doubling the count from last year) by the totally awesome surrounding community efforts consisting of the Saguache, Mineral, Rio Grande, Alamosa, Conejos and Costilla Counties.  We also had Christmas wreaths placed at private cemeteries of the purchaser’s choice throughout the San Luis Valley on Sunday, December 17TH.  Due to certain difficulties, we were a day late celebrating the nationwide Wreaths Across America Day ceremonies, which was held on Saturday, December 16TH, but we had an awesome turnout. 

It was possible to place wreaths on the entire 1,508 veterans buried at Homelake Cemetery with honor and remembrance, and we were also able to cover almost all the remaining grave sites of non-veterans making it look so very beautiful.

The wreaths were delivered by the National Carrier Trucking Service, free of charge as their way of honoring and remembering all the veterans who sacrificed so much for our freedom. They deserve a very big thank you for this service, especially since they travel throughout the entire United States delivering Christmas wreaths.

Thank you to Joanie Cavalier for her assistance with the fundraising of purchasing wreaths and for helping to place wreaths.  Thank you to Pam Self, admissions and marketing manager at the Colorado State Veterans Center for her expertise of computer messaging at a minute’s notice, helping to unload the truck with wreaths along with the help of her family and friends, and for Pam and her family assisting with the afternoon of placing   wreaths and helping to keep everything running smoothly. What a God’s blessing to have such help!

Thank you to the Monte Vista Journal, Valley Courier, KSLV radio station and to the Center Dispatch for media coverage throughout the San Luis Valley.

Thank you to all the very awesome volunteers of approximately 125+ or so that gave up their Sunday afternoon to come to the Homelake Cemetery and help to place veterans Christmas wreathes. The weather was sunny and for December it was really a beautiful day.  With all the help of these wonderful volunteers the wreaths were placed within 30-35 minutes. Awesome!!!! Again I say thank you to all the volunteers.

I would now like to give a huge thank you to all the very generous and awesome individuals, church groups, active service organizations and businesses for their purchases or donations for veterans Christmas wreaths making it possible for Homelake Cemetery to have an almost 100 percent coverage. Following are such donators:

Our largest donator was a grant from the Saguache County Board of County Commissioners, The SLV Rural Electric Company, Nazarene Thrift Store, Valley Tractor Repair, LLC, Dr. Brian Roberts D.D.S, Monte Vista Rotary Club, Monte Vista Conquistadores, Sangre de Cristo Schools, CFWC Woman’s Citizenship Club, SLV Republican Women, Greg & Shirley Thompson, Monte Vista Cooperative, Monte Vista Kiwanis Club, Mitchell Ag.  Production, FLP, American Legion-Camp Coller Committee, Jas. G. Hamilton Post No. 53- American Legion, Oremark, LLC Parma Ranch, Dan Keeton, Wenta Nip & Sanitizing, LLC, Roena Rowe, B-Runs Rentals, Jerri L Meadows, Chapel Of The South Fork, Art & Vicki Jones, Sweet Peas FCE, Ken & Dee Bartee, Rod & Deb Rosacker, Friday Morning Club, Jeanne M. Haug, Linda Synnott, Kent & L.B. Raimer, Karla Shriver, Don & Karan Wilkinson, G.S. Davis, Marcella Chacon, Nadine Dieckman, John & Joan Cavaliere, Billy & Laura Ainge, Mark & Gigi Lounsbury, Anita Kinsey, VFW Post  # 8121, VFW  Auxiliary/Seigfried Leyte Post  # 8121, Marvin & Helen Davis,  Charlene M. Green, Kirby & Pam Self, Rachael Perea, C.R. Bryant JR., Rosanne & David Pacheco, Living Water  Bible Fellowship, Harold & Margaret Rominger and there are so many more wonderful donators that are too  numerous to mention them all but, I am so very  grateful and thankful for all of them.

Thank you to retired (as of five days) Lt. Col. Air Force Patty Robertson for being our guest speaker who asked everyone to cherish the time spent with their families and friends always, but now especially through the holiday season, to remember and honor our veterans and their families for the many sacrifices they have made and continue to make.

You have all helped the Wreaths Across America to fulfill their mission to remember the fallen, honor those who served and those that continue to serve and to teach our children of the many sacrifices made by military men and women and their families to maintain and protect our freedom. Wreaths Across America reached across 1200 locations in the U.S. and at each of the national cemeteries on foreign soil.   

Again, a heartfelt thank you to everyone for their support and honor of all our veterans. And if you want to see a wondrous site with all the wreaths placed please drive by the Homelake Cemetery.

Sincerely,

Carol Martinez

Location leader at Homelake Cemetery for Wreaths Across America