Volunteers laying 25,000 wreaths at Biloxi National Cemetery

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Thursday, four 18-wheelers filled with Christmas wreaths arrived at Biloxi National Cemetery to remember heroes this holiday.

This is the 10th year Riemann Family Funeral Homes has sponsored Wreaths for Biloxi National Cemetery. Volunteers spent the afternoon unloading 25,000 wreaths and boxes of bows. Each year, Riemann and generous donors have been able to add more wreaths with the goal of placing one on each gravesite.

This year, Chad Riemann says they’ll be able to do just that.

“Today, we’re unloading the four 18-wheelers, and then tomorrow we’ll replace all the bows that need to be replaced, and then Saturday is when the ceremony takes place, and the ceremony really can’t take place -- and we can’t lay the wreaths -- unless all the bows have been replaced, so that’s where the volunteers come in,” he said. “Ceremony day, we have lots of families that choose to come out, and they are able to take a wreath over to their loved ones’ graves.”

Riemann says hundreds of volunteers are needed Friday to help fluff the wreaths and put bows on them. It’s an all day job which begins at 8 a.m. at the cemetery.

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