Chamber collects contributions for Wreaths Across America ’25

Contributions are coming in for the community’s annual Wreaths Across America remembrance, but there’s still a ways to go to hit the goal to place 600 wreaths for service members graves at Gladewater Memorial Park come Dec. 13.
It’s a simultaneous commemoration nationwide, set for 11 a.m. that Saturday morning.
Per Gladewater Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lois Reed, a thousand dollar donation is incoming, and it’ll join contributions from Gusher Days ($500) and the Gladewater Arts & Crafts Festival (another $500) as well as private donors’ gifts.
That said, “I need more than that.”
Though the effort will only take place at one local cemetery this year, collections are still shy of the target by several hundred wreaths. They’re furnished by the national Wreaths Across America organization and distributed by local volunteers. Each participant is asked to pause in placing a wreath on a service member’s grave.
It’s a way “to remember and honor our veterans through the laying of Remembrance wreaths on the graves of our country’s fallen heroes and the act of saying the name of each and every veteran aloud,” according to Gladewater’s project page at wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/175570/
“Remember the Fallen… Honor those who Serve… Teach our children the value of Freedom.”
Gladewater Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 4716 US-80 in Big Sandy. Prior to the placing of the wreaths, participants are asked to gather first at the Veterans’ Memorial Plaza at 119 E. Pacific Ave.
Kicking off at 11 a.m. “We have a brief ceremony at the veterans memorial then we’ll all go to one cemetery,” Reed said.
For more information or to make a donation, reach Reed at 903-845-5501.