Putnam County Civil Air Patrol Fundraising to Honor Veterans

On Saturday, December 19 at noon, Civil Air Patrol’s Putnam County Squadron will be helping Raymond Hill Cemetery to remember and honor local veterans by laying wreaths on the headstones of our country's fallen heroes.

Each year, millions of Americans come together to REMEMBER the fallen, HONOR those that serve and their families, and TEACH the next generation about the value of freedom. This gathering of volunteers and patriots takes place in local and national cemeteries in all 50 states as part of National Wreaths Across America Day.

In 2019, volunteers placed approximately 2.2 million veteran wreaths on headstones at over 2,000 locations around the country in honor of the service and sacrifices made by veterans.

The Putnam County Squadron placed 305 wreaths at the Raymond Hill Cemetery, leaving 245 without a veterans’ wreath. The goal this year is to place a wreath on every veterans’ headstone in the cemetery. With your generosity, we are hoping to meet this goal.

Squadron members are hosting a fundraiser on Saturday, November 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at ShopRite, 184 Route 52 in Carmel, to sponsor the wreaths needed to honor every veteran laid to rest in the cemetery. Wreaths are hand made in the USA and cost $15 to sponsor.

For information, or to sponsor a wreath, contact Major Elena MacDermant, Commander, at elenamac@aol.com or call (845) 216-5433. To order online visit the squadron sponsorship page at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/27878. Click on the red Sponsor Wreaths button and follow the directions.

Help the squadron get others involved by sharing your support and challenging your own family, friends and community to support the mission!

For squadron information visit www.facebook.com/PutnamCountyCompositeSquadron or ny033.cap.gov.

Civil Air Patrol is the longtime auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and as such is a valued member of its Total Force. In its auxiliary role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 single-engine aircraft and 1,550 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). It performs about 90% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 82 lives annually. CAP’s 66,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Operating as a nonprofit organization, CAP also plays a leading role in STEM/aerospace education, and its members serve as mentors to 28,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. Visit www.CAP.NEWS orwww.GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.