This year's Wreaths Across America program, which honors veterans by laying wreaths at graves, will be Dec. 18.

Those who appreciate and respect the men and women of the U.S. military can spend a little money to give veterans a big honor.

Jodie Stocks of Washington Township, the volunteer coordinator of the Wreaths Across America program for three cemeteries in the county's northern section, said she is short about 200 wreaths for Union Cemetery in West Sunbury.

The program enables volunteers to honor deceased veterans across the United States by laying wreaths at each veteran's grave in designated cemeteries.

This year's Wreaths Across America will take place Dec. 18 at five county cemeteries.

The wreaths for the project come from donations of $15 per wreath, which are made in Maine and sent to the volunteer coordinators.

Stocks said she has enough funds for about 200 wreaths at Union Cemetery.

“Union has more than 400 veterans, and we are not able to completely cover wreaths for every veteran there,” Stocks said.

She hopes county residents will log onto wreathsacrossamerica.org, scroll down to “Where We Remember,” click on “Find a specific location” and type in “West Sunbury Union Cemetery” to donate one or more wreaths.

Stocks said veterans at the Concord Presbyterian Church Cemetery on Hooker Road in Concord Township and St. John's United Methodist Church Cemetery on Hallston Road in Brady Township will also receive wreaths Dec. 18.

She said Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts from Troop 31, West Sunbury, will lay the wreaths, and either the scout laying the wreath or a family member of the veteran will say the veteran's name.

“One of Wreaths Across America's biggest things is no one is ever forgotten as long as people say their name,” Stocks said.

A short history of Wreaths Across America will be read and a trumpeter will play taps at each cemetery.

She said the ceremonies and wreath layings will take place at 9:45 a.m. at St. John's, 10:30 a.m. at Union and noon at Concord.

Stocks is glad to be a volunteer with Wreaths Across America since 2014, when she participated in the wreath laying at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

“It's such a fantastic organization,” Stocks said of Wreaths Across America. “The wreaths are a great visual representation to honor veterans for all their sacrifice and service.”

Wreaths Across America also will be held Dec. 18 at Saxonburg Memorial Church Cemetery in Saxonburg.

Melissa Somerville of Winfield Township is coordinating the event there, which will begin at 10 a.m.

She said 325 veterans are buried in the Saxonburg cemetery, and wreaths also have been collected for the 75 veteran graves at the St. Luke Lutheran Church Cemetery in Jefferson Township.

“I was so excited that I had such a showing of support,” Somerville said of those who donated money for wreaths. “I was just amazed.”

She said Knoch High School graduate Skylar Burkett will sing the national anthem, local musician Robert Wolf II will play taps and a wreath recognizing each branch of the U.S. military will be placed in the cemetery.

Volunteers will lay some wreaths, while family members of the veterans will lay others, Somerville said.

She said an article in the Butler Eagle sparked her interest in Wreaths Across America, so she became a volunteer coordinator.

Also, her husband, Raymond, is an Army veteran of the Vietnam war.

“It's important to keep veterans in our mind and teach the younger kids that their freedom isn't free,” Somerville said.