BREWER, Maine — The city of Brewer was one of roughly 4,600 communities across the U.S. that participated in Wreaths Across America events Saturday to honor and remember the sacrifices veterans made for our country.
"Thank you for your service," Brewer resident Nicole Hanson said as she placed a wreath on her grandfather's headstone.
Hanson's grandfather was a World War II veteran.
"To be able to come out and put a wreath on his grave from the Wreaths Across America from Maine means a lot,” she shared.
Events in Brewer began with a ceremony paying tribute to veterans and remembering the sacrifices they made for our country before wreaths were laid at the graves.
"Remember, we're not here today to decorate graves. We're here to remember not their deaths but their lives,” Brewer City Manager Eric Glidden said during the ceremony.
For Glidden, this mission is close to his heart. He laid a wreath at the grave of a family-friend who served in the Navy during World War II and the Korean War.
"To recognize other people who may not have anybody that remembers them anymore and be able to go to their graves and say something to them and leave something behind to recognize them is very important to me,” Brewer Mayor Michele LaBree Daniels said.
The city met its goal to raise enough funds to place 350 wreaths on veterans' headstones who were laid to rest in Brewer cemeteries.
"I truly believe that that this project has shown that people in Brewer are our caring community,” Susan Xirinachs, Brewer’s location coordinator for Wreaths Across America, said.
Wreaths Across America is annual tradition that started in Maine more than 30 years ago. To learn more about the organization's mission, click here.