Putnam Civil Air Patrol Fundraising for Veterans Tribute

Local volunteers are working hard to ensure that all veterans laid to rest at Raymond Hill Cemetery are honored this December on National Wreaths Across America Day. This year, the ceremony, held simultaneously across the country at more than 2,700 participating locations, will be on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021. An additional ceremony is scheduled for Gilead Cemetery on Sunday, Dec. 19. Both ceremonies take place at noon.

Civil Air Patrol’s Putnam County Composite Squadron (NY033)will be hosting two fundraising events. Members will be at the Tractor Supply Co., 1253 Route 311 in Patterson on Nov. 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Squadron members will also fundraise at Kent Liquors, 1108 Route 52 in Carmel, on Nov. 24, 12 to 3 p.m.

The goal is to raise awareness and wreaths sponsorships to be placed on hundreds of headstones to honor every veteran at Raymond Hill and Gilead Cemeteries. Each wreath sponsorship costs $15.

“With each local event held across the country, volunteers help build community awareness and understanding of the organization's year-long mission to Remember, Honor, Teach,” said Karen Worcester, executive director, Wreaths Across America. “However, in light of the current health crisis, we feel events like this one have taken on even more meaning by providing the opportunity for people to safely participate in something that is both educational and fun, while supporting and giving back to the community when it is needed most.”

Sponsorships can also be made on the Putnam County Composite Squadron Wreaths Across America web page at https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/27878. Each sponsorship goes toward a fresh balsam veteran’s wreath that will be placed on the headstone of an American hero as we endeavor to honor all veterans laid to rest at Raymond Hill and Gilead Cemeteries this December. The last day to order is Nov. 30.

Wreaths Across America is the non-profit organization best known for placing veterans’ wreaths on the headstones of our nation’s fallen at Arlington National Cemetery. However, the organization, in total, places more than 1.7 million sponsored wreaths at 2557 participating locations nationwide.

For information about the Putnam County Composite Squadron or Wreaths Across America contact Major MacDermant at (845) 216-5433, email elenamac@aol.com, or visit www.ny033.cap.gov.

Established in 1941, Civil Air Patrol is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and as such is a member of its Total Force. In its auxiliary role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 single-engine Cessna aircraft and more than 2,100 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) and performs about 90% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Often using innovative cellphone forensics and radar analysis software, CAP was credited by the AFRCC with saving 107 lives in fiscal 2020. CAP’s 56,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. As a nonprofit organization, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace education using national academic standards-based STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. Members also serve as mentors to over 23,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. One of the premier public service organizations in America, CAP benefits the nation with an estimated economic impact of $209 million annually. Visit www.CAP.NEWS or www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.