How Can Your Council or Assembly Participate? 

1. You can donate money to purchase wreaths. The wreaths cost $17.00 each.  There are several ways to donate: 
   
   
   1. Funds can be sent to a local participating cemetery.  
      1. A comprehensive list of participating cemeteries can be found on the National WAA website  
      2. Or you can contact your local cemetery to inquire if they have a WAA coordinator.
         
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   2. Funds can be sent to the national HQ of WAA.  Such funds can be earmarked to go to a particular cemetery of your choice, or you can leave it to their discretion to distribute your wreaths where they are most needed.  Likely, many such wreaths will be used at Arlington National Cemetery.
      
      
   3. Funds can be sent to Knights of Columbus Charities of Georgia (KCCG)
      1. Once again, you can earmark a specific cemetery or simply allow KCCG to send the funds to WAA for general distribution throughout Georgia.
         
         
2. You can volunteer to lay wreaths on Wreaths Across America Day which will be held on December 16 this year.  To volunteer, simply coordinate with the WAA coordinator at your local cemetery (as mentioned above) or just show up at a participating location.  In Georgia, the Canton or Marrietta National Cemetries, the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Milledgeville, and the Andersonville National Historic Site are well-known and popular destinations for volunteers.
   
   Volunteering is a great expression of civic pride and patriotism, hallmarks of the Knights of Columbus.  Gathering to do so with your Brother Knights is also an expression of unity and fraternity, two other principles of our Order.  But laying wreaths on a December afternoon is not just something for Knights to do.  Many Councils and Assemblies use this occasion to gather for fellowship with their families and friends and to teach the principle of patriotism to children and grandchildren.  It is truly a family affair.
   
   There will typically be a brief opening ceremony.  There may be some remarks by local dignitaries and/or representatives of the armed forces.  Perhaps a local school will have provided a band to play the National Anthem.  Perhaps an organization like the American Legion, the VFW, JROTC, Civil Air Patrol or the Knights of Columbus will provide a color guard.  Ceremonial wreaths, one for each branch of service and the POW//MIA, are usually laid first and then participants are released to walk the grounds and lay wreaths.
   
   Wreaths are typically distributed in boxed batches around the cemetery.  Grab some and walk among the headstones.  In some cases, cemetery staff may have pre-marked the locations for you to place a wreath.  In other cases, you play detective, pausing to read the headstones and markers as you go to find the final resting place of a veteran and then placing a wreath there.  Either way it is a righteous and fulfilling experience that you, your family, and your Brother Knights will not soon forget. 
   
   
3. You can do both; donate money AND volunteer.  For the best expression of support, consider both donating funds to purchase wreaths and mustering your Brother Knights to volunteer on December 16.  You will be glad you did!