ARVIN, Calif. (KERO) — On December 17, 2022, wreaths donated by members of the community were placed on the gravesites of the service personnel and other veterans laid to rest at the Bakersfield National Cemetery in Arvin. Now, the cemetery and the Civil Air Patrol are asking for volunteers to help them remove the thousands of wreaths.
Cemetery Director Cindy M. Van Bibber would like to remind everyone that while the holiday season is over, they can still donate towards a wreath for their own loved one or the other veterans interred there.
"I'm hoping that the community will donate to this program so that we can reach a goal of having a wreath for every gravesite this year — a goal that was not met in 2021 or 2022," said Van Bibber in a press release.
People interested in donating to the wreath placement program can visit the cemetery-specific page of the Civil Air Patrol's website. Donations can be gravesite-specific.
Another way to honor a veteran interred at Bakersfield National Cemetery or other national cemeteries is by visiting their individual page at the Veterans Legacy Memorial website. The website has an interactive feature so family and friends of veterans interred at most national cemeteries can post messages, stories, photos, and more in remembrance of their loved one.
Anyone who would like to volunteer to participate in Wreaths Out at Bakersfield National Cemetery is invited to come to the cemetery on Saturday, January 14, 2023. Collection will begin at 9:30 am.
