The Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery opened in 2006 after more than a decade of work and planning. It now serves as the honorable resting place for more than 3,000 veterans and family members.

In support of this tremendous asset, a group of citizens has organized the Friends of the Central Texas Veterans Cemetery to support projects at the cemetery beginning with laying a holiday wreath at each grave each year. Wreaths will be laid on Saturday, November 24, 2012 at 10 a.m., and we hope you will join us.

The Friends of the Central Texas Veterans Cemetery are seeking monetary donations to purchase wreaths and volunteers to prepare, lay, and pick up wreaths.

Laying holiday wreaths actually began seven years ago when the Wreaths Across America organization sent six wreaths to our cemetery and every other veterans cemetery in the United States to be laid in honor of each military service branch and POW/MIA. An individual believed that there should be a wreath laid at each grave and within three days, she had gathered enough wreaths and volunteers to make it happen.

Last year, there were about 3,300 graves, and this year there are more than 4,000. We expect about 800 new graves each year, so we need your support to continue this meaningful project in this and future years.

If you would like to make a tax deductible donation, please follow the ‘donate’ link in the right column.

If you would like to volunteer to prepare, lay, or pick up wreaths, please e-mail fctsvc@wreathsforvets.org or call (254) 690-4321.

Thank you for supporting this project and more importantly our veterans and their families.