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Wreaths Across America a success

Richard Reuer

Minot

Today I would like to share with our local community readers the reasoning behind bringing Wreaths Across America to the Magic City of Minot.

Wreaths Across America started in 1992 as a simple gesture of gratitude by one man, a wreath maker from Maine, and his family. What he didn’t know at the time was that so many Americans, from every community in the country, felt the same as he did. They wanted to Remember their fallen, Honor those who serve, and Teach the next generation the value of freedom, but they didn’t know how.

Wreaths Across America grew into what it is today – more than 1,600 participating locations and nearly one million dedicated locations and nearly one million dedicated volunteers – because of the desire by so many to show thanks to the few who are willing to put their lives on the line each day for our freedoms.

In the Minot area, for the past couple of years Mohall American Legion Auxiliary joined on and for the first time, Bottineau American Legion was added.

The William G. Carroll American Legion Post #26 and Minot Civil Air Patrol – Magic City Composite Sq. have been hosting Wreaths Across America since 2014, and every year new sponsors join in to help sponsor wreaths for our fallen military heroes. Last year we sent 440 wreaths to Arlington. This year, since we now opened up section 16, we were unable to send any wreaths to Arlington.

Thanks to the following businesses, banks, organizations, service clubs, churches and schools for making our 5th annual Wreaths Across America successful: Amvets Ladies Auxiliary Post #10; DAV Chapter 4; Dakota Square Mall; Eagles Auxiliary #2376; Faith United Methodist Men’s Group; First Western Bank & Trust; Gate City Bank; Grand Hotel; I Keating Furniture; Lighthouse Church; Margies Art Glass Studio; Minot Area Community Foundation; Minot Commission on Aging; Minot Lions Club; Minot Spouses Club; Minot City Campus High School; Optimist Club of Minot; Pizza Ranch; St. Theresa Church of the Little Flower; Sertoma Club of Minot; Somerset Court; The Stereo Shop; Trinity Homes; Trinity Lutheran Cemetery; and local floral shops Artistic Ambiance, Flower Box; Flower Central; Lowes Floral & Gardens; and Seasons. If I’ve missed anyone, forgive me, as it seems this year our list has gotten longer, but we don’t want to forget to thank all those who made this years Wreaths Across America a successful year again.

Thanks to the Grand Hotel, Trinity Homes, Trinity St. Joseph Hospital and Trinity Hospital cafeteria for allowing us to display the Missing Man table during the Veterans Day weekend. Applications for sponsoring a wreath were placed on the display for those who visited to participate in sponsoring a wreath.

Thank you to Nancy Bommelman of Menards and her husband, Ray Bruce, of Mowbray’s Metal and Sheet company for making it possible for over 500 rebar crosses to be made for section 16.

Thanks to the pastor and church family of Vincent United Methodist Church for hosting our fifth annual Wreaths Across America ceremony in their facility. Mark your calendar for next year’s event, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019.

This year has been our highest number of sponsored wreaths in the Minot surrounding area. We brought in a total of 1012 sponsored wreaths. Mohall did 44 and Bottineau 24. We thank our local media for their support in getting the information out via newspaper, television and radio stations.

We had close to 300 in attendance for the Wreaths Across America ceremony. This year we featured a video clip of the Celtic Thunder singing “Christmas 1915”, which later in the ceremony we honored the family members of those who fought and served during WWI. We were honored this year to have the Color Guard team from the VFW present the colors at the beginning of our ceremony, followed by Nathan Bowles for singing the National Anthem. Thanks to our many volunteers who came out to help make this year’s Wreaths Across America run smoothly.

This year in our program we provided a list of 30 people who have sponsored wreaths for 5 consecutive years. Certificates will be sent to them at the end of the year. Thank you for your faithful sponsorship to Wreaths Across America.

Just a reminder that Wreaths Across America applications are provided at the Rosehill Memorial Park Cemetery office during their office hours Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. So, if you did not get a chance to sponsor this year, you can start from January 2nd – November 22nd. There will also be a special display in the Rosehill Memorial Park Cemetery chapel with 2019 application forms that may be picked up there any time of the day.

God bless you all and Happy New Year.

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