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Getting Results: Horton Wreath Society wreaths delivered

Posted at 7:03 PM, Dec 12, 2013
and last updated 2013-12-12 21:18:51-05

Suffolk, Va. (WTKR) - 5,000 wreaths to honor veterans buried at the Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery arrived in Suffolk on Wednesday.

Thursday afternoon, volunteers with the Horton Wreath Society spent the afternoon unpacking the wreaths, adjusting the bows and loading them onto tractor-trailers at Nansemond Storage, which donates the space to house the wreaths every year.

On Saturday, they'll be taken to the cemetery and placed on the graves of every veteran buried there during a special ceremony.

The event is special for the families of those buried at the cemetery.

"They get a sense of appreciation from the public. That the public appreciates the sacrifices that their family member gave over the course of their life," explained Horton Wreath Society President John Tutunjian.

The arrival of the wreaths marked a major accomplishment for the Horton Wreath Society.

In October, the group announced they had fallen behind in fundraising due to the growing number of wreaths they needed to purchase as more veterans get buried at the cemetery.

For the first time, they were in danger of having to choose which graves would get wreaths and which ones would not.

That's when NewsChannel 3 Took Action, with Todd Corillo presenting the Horton Wreath Society with $1,000 on behalf of NewsChannel 3 to put towards the wreaths.

Marine Corps Veteran Donald Ross Jr. saw that story and decided to Take Action as well, donating $5,000 to the effort.

"It was just tremendous," Tutunjian explained. "It went a long way helping us not only to meet our goal but we actually exceeded our goal for this year."

The Horton Wreath Society invites everyone to participate in the laying of the wreaths on Saturday at 9:00 am.

For more information, click here.

Related: 

Photos: Organization receives 5,000 wreaths to honor veterans

Wreaths for graves of veterans delivered to Suffolk cemetery

Getting Results: Horton Wreath Society meets fundraising goal

NewsChannel 3 Takes Action to help Horton Wreath Society honor departed veterans