The Waw-wil-a-way Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) will be joining in the mission of the national nonprofit Wreaths Across America to remember, honor and teach by placing wreaths on the graves of military veterans at the Hillsboro Cemetery following a ceremony at the cemetery at 12 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16.

This is the first year the Hillsboro Cemetery will participate in the program.

“Our chapter decided to help as a way to honor those in the Hillsboro area, and this cemetery is the largest one in Hillsboro,” said Elissa Zornes of the Waw-wil-a-way Chapter of the DAR. “Since this is our first year, only 126 wreaths were sponsored, and there are 1,127 military veterans in the Hillsboro Cemetery, so we are only at 25 percent of our goal, and we are planning on doing this annually, hoping one day to reach the 1,127-plus goal.”

In recent years, a wreath has been placed at the Highland County Veterans Memorial at the Highland County Courthouse by the Sons of the American Revolution Highlanders Chapter.

This year’s wreath-laying at the Hillsboro Cemetery will be focused on the section of the cemetery that is primarily for veterans. “Next year, we will focus on different sections, again hoping to eventually place a wreath on all graves,” said Zornes. “The wreaths are typically not specific to an individual, but we have had some who will be picking up their sponsored wreath and placing it on their loved one’s grave.”

Wreaths Across America is best known for remembering fallen veterans with wreaths placed each December at Arlington National Cemetery.

The organization’s founder, Morrill Worcester, was inspired when he saw Arlington National Cemetery after winning a trip to Washington, D.C. as a 12-year-old paper boy.

Eventually, he founded Worcester Wreath Company, and in 1992, with the help of Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, 5,000 wreaths were placed at Arlington National Cemetery.

In 2005, a photo of Arlington covered in snow adorned with wreaths prompted thousands of requests from people wanting to emulate the effort on the local level. This led to the formation of Wreaths Across America as a national nonprofit in 2007.

In 2008, more than 60,000 volunteers helped to place 100,000 wreaths on veterans’ headstones. Recognizing the organization’s impact, the United States Congress unanimously voted to declare “National Wreaths Across America Day” to be held annually on the second or third Saturday of December.

Reach John Hackley at 937-402-2571.