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Wreaths for graves of veterans delivered to Suffolk cemetery

Posted at 8:27 PM, Dec 12, 2012
and last updated 2012-12-12 20:27:22-05

Suffolk, Va. - It was a special delivery in Suffolk on Wednesday afternoon as a tractor-trailer full of fresh wreaths arrived at a storage facility off Dill Road.

The wreaths shipped in from Maine will be placed on every grave the the Albert Horton Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk this Saturday.

"It's just to show some honor and some respect to the veterans and their spouses," explained Horton Wreath Society President John Tutunjian.

4,075 were purchased this year at a cost of roughly $36,000.

That's a significant increase over previous years as more and more veterans are now buried at the Horton Cemetery.

"Probably next year we'll run about 5,500 wreaths at least. So this is a continual year round project," explained Horton Wreath Society Treasurer Becca Landick. "We don't stop just because this weekend's event is going to be over. We collect all year long."

"The number is increasing exponentially every year. We started off 5 years ago with around 1,200 wreaths," explained Tutunjian.

On Thursday, the wreaths will be fluffed and prepared before being loaded onto a donated tractor-trailer.

That tractor-trailer will then be escorted by the Patriot Guard Riders Saturday morning into the Horton Veterans Cemetery where the wreaths will be placed on every grave site.

"You step back, you take a deep breath, and you thank God. You're thankful for their service, you remember their service," Landick said. "You've honored their service and they are not forgotten."

The Horton Wreath Society relies solely on donations to cover the costs of purchasing the wreaths.

To find out more information, or to make a donation, visit their website here.