ST PAUL, Minn. — Right now, a holiday tradition is in full swing — placing a wreath on every veteran's grave at Fort Snelling.
It's a tall order and so far, donations are down.
Fort Snelling is one of the largest cemeteries in the country and the only national one in Minnesota.
"This is the main draw for this whole state," said Fort Snelling Deputy Director Marshall Murphy. "And as a veteran myself, it's a special place just knowing people care."
There are 260,000 veterans buried at Fort Snelling and it's Murphy's mission to make sure none of them are forgotten. As part of the national Wreaths Across America campaign, Murphy will help lead a ceremony next month where volunteers will put wreaths on every gravestone.
Except this year, the tradition may be in trouble.
"As of today, less than 2% of those wreaths have been donated, so 98% of headstones are in jeopardy of not receiving a wreath," said David Bolser, who runs the charity Senior Veterans, Inc.
He's trying to encourage more people to invest in the campaign that depends on millions of volunteers at 4,000 sites across all 50 states so that the nation's veterans are remembered and honored.
"You do the very best you can to get this story to the people because the people do this," said Bolser. "It's not funded in any way by federal government or state government or local government, it's the people."
The wreaths are handmade, shipped from one shop on the east coast and cost just $17 - small sacrifice to remember someone's greatest one, so no grave has to go bare.
"Just walk through and think of who some of these people were, think of who they were and realize that were real people that have a story," said Murphy.
You can only order wreaths until next Thursday, so they can be shipped on time.
There's a ceremony at Fort Snelling on Dec. 16 when more volunteers are needed to lay all the wreaths that then stay up for six weeks. Click here for more information on how to donate.
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