9th Annual Veterans Wreath Laying Program set for Dec. 18 at SW Va. Veterans Cemetery

The 9th Annual Wreath Laying Program will be held at the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery sponsored by the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery Volunteers on Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 1 pm.  Guests are encouraged to arrive early as the gates close at 12:45. Parking is not allowed on the cemetery grounds on this day.

There are several  important changes to this year’s procedures which pertain to parking. Our bus transportation has been made possible this year by the generosity of Sunshine Tours of Dublin, VA.  Our program very much is dependent of the many organizations in and around Southwest Virginia who provide their services free to present this program.   This years those guest who are able and want to park in the Community parking lot may park there and across Bagging Plant Road and enter the cemetery grounds.  However, guests who wish to ride the buses should located the water tower located across from the cemetery on Bagging Plant Road,  turn up Lion’s Club Way, proceed to the end of the road, turn left on Hudson and park in Dublin Elementary School parking lot.  From here they will ride the buses to the staging area, be picked up starting at 20 minutes after the formal ceremony ends and returned to their cars. This year’s buses are not handicapped acceptable so those guest who are not able to ride the bus will be able to have the driver of their vehicle enter the cemetery, obtain a special handicapped pass, let the person off at the staging area, and return to main gate and park in one of the two parking lots.

Any be sure to visit the Volunteers web page (www.swvavcvc.org)  this coming week to keep up with any changes that might occur because of inclement weather or COVID restrictions which might be in place.

As always the Volunteers look forward to hosting this very beautiful and meaningful event honoring our veterans and their families and friends.

The Volunteers were organized in the fall of 2013 and in December of that year they laid a wreath on each of the 350 gravesite that were in the cemetery at that time. On Saturday, December 18, the Volunteers will offer 1,600 hundred wreath to family & friends to place on each and every gravesite at the cemetery.  Everyone is invited to attend the formal program.  However, it is customary that family will be allowed to lay wreaths on the gravesite of their love ones first and then the other guests may lay a wreath on any grave that does not have a wreath already placed on it.

It is important to note the purchase of a live holiday wreath for each and every veteran’s gravesite is made possible by the generous donations from patriots from southwest Virginia and far reaching areas.  Each year as the number of burials increase so does our need to raise more funds to purchase more wreaths.  We are a 501 C (3) organization and have no employees.   Every donations is appreciated and 95% goes to the purchase of the wreaths.    Our mailing address is SWVAVCV, PO Box 11373, Blacksburg, VA 24062.