11-Year-Old Raises Money to Put Wreaths on Each Veteran’s Grave at Yorktown Cemetery

An 11-year-old’s wish to make sure every deceased veteran laid to rest in Yorktown Cemetery has a wreath for this holiday season will come true.

WAVY reported in an earlier news segment that Cadence Smeltzer and her family were flooded with donations to help buy holiday wreaths in partnership with the nonprofit Wreaths Across America.

Cadence raised enough money to donate about 1,000 wreaths to Yorktown Cemetery in Virginia. According to her mother, every veteran at the cemetery will have a wreath at their gravesite thanks to their aggressive fundraising efforts, WAVY reported.

Cadence has worked tirelessly every season to ensure each deceased veteran has a wreath laid at their gravesite. In her first year, she donated 25 wreaths.

In 2019, she donated 57 wreaths.

Still, Cadence did not want to see a grave left untouched without a wreath — and this year, she was determined to ensure no grave would go without a wreath.

In 2020, Cadence reached her 1,000 wreath goal, blowing previous years out of the water. She even planned to put in one wreath for free for every two wreaths purchased by others to get as close to her goal as possible.

To donate to Cadence’s fundraising page for Wreaths Across America, click the link to this website.