SMA Season's tidings

The cadets at Sarasota Military Academy and Prep school will be paying their respects and honoring veterans buried at Sarasota National Cemetery by laying Veterans Wreaths. 

Cadets are hoping to collect enough money to afford 10,000 wreaths necessary to cover all of the grave sites at Sarasota National Cemetery. Individual wreaths cost $15. At press time, they have collected enough to purchase only 4,500 wreaths. The deadline for collecting funds is Monday, Nov. 30. To help fund the project people can submit and mail contributions to the school as well as making donations to wreathsacrossamericasarasota.com. 

Katherine Simon, mother of two cadets at both SMA schools, is spearheading the project this year. She participated in laying wreaths last year.

“It’s a very emotional day and it’s a very beautiful ceremony. If they have not experienced it they should,” Simon said. “This is about remembering our veterans and honoring the fact that they have served our country and teaching our children about our veterans.”

Along with funding the project cadets will be helping to lay wreaths. Anyone interested in volunteering to lay wreaths is invited to attend the ceremony at 9 a.m. Dec. 12 at Sarasota National Cemetery.