LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County residents will gather together on Saturday to honor veterans as part of the annual Wreaths Across America Day.

Everyone is invited to take part in the event, which serves to show that the sacrifices of veterans are not be forgotten.

Youth organizations and veterans organizations have volunteered to conduct the Wreaths Across America ceremony this year at Hartley, Kelseyville, Lower Lake, Upper Lake and St. Mary’s cemeteries on Saturday, Dec. 12, starting promptly at 9 a.m.

Seven ceremonial wreaths will be placed to remember all soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who served, honor their sacrifices and teach younger generations about the high cost of our freedoms. 

This year Wreaths Across America announced to each cemetery coordinator in Lake County that they are sending additional wreaths so that every veteran at the participating cemeteries will be honored with a holiday wreath. 

More than 2,100 wreaths will be placed to remember and honor the veterans buried in Lake County. The count for each cemetery is as follows: Hartley Cemetery, 711 wreaths; Kelseyville Cemetery, 486 wreaths; Lower Lake Cemetery, 513 wreaths; Upper Lake cemetery, 414 wreaths; and St. Mary’s Cemetery, 43 wreaths.

Wreaths Across America pursues its mission with nationwide wreath-laying events amid the holiday season, and year-round educational outreach inviting all Americans to appreciate our freedoms and the cost at which they are delivered.

Specially designated wreaths for the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine and POW/MIA will be placed on memorials during a ceremony that will be coordinated simultaneously at more than 1,000 participating locations all across the country and overseas.

In 2014, Wreaths Across America and their national network of volunteers laid more than 700,000 memorial wreaths in the United States and beyond with help from 2,048 fundraising groups, corporate contributions, donations of trucking and shipping, and thousands of helping hands.

Take an hour amid the hustle and bustle of this holiday season and bring your families to attend one of these heartfelt ceremonies that will be performed by youth organizations including Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Clear Lake High School Cheerleaders, 4-H, FFA, CLHS Band, Sheriff Explorers, St. Mary’s Confirmation Kids and K-Corps.

In addition, the Lake County Funeral Honors Team, Patriot Guard Riders and Honor Guard from the Travis Air Force Base will be attending at one of the locations.