After a foggy morning of rainy weather Dec. 14, a beautiful rainbow stretched across the sky, greeting the hard-working volunteers. Photo courtesy of Jackie Stocking

DIXON, CA (MPG) - Each year, the Wreath Project, in collaboration with Wreaths Across America, ventures out to Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, 5810 Midway Road, to bestow as many gravesites as possible with holiday wreaths.

Since 2006, the nonprofit organization has annually achieved 100% placement, covering 561 acres and more than 30,000 gravesites. Due to the hard work of staff and volunteers, the 19 thannual bough placing, which began at 7:30 a.m. Dec. 14, was a complete success, maintaining its coverage streak once again.

Led by the Stocking family, beginning at 3 p.m. Dec. 13, volunteers, primarily teens and adults, arrived for bough truck unloading. After Sacramento Valley’s final ceremony of the day, many helpful hands got to work preparing for the next day’s events. Early on Dec. 14, many of the same volunteers risked the rainy weather to lay more than 30,000 boughs by the end of the event.

“We were able to purchase 30,000 boughs,” Susie Stocking said. “The Wreath Project supplied 30,000 boughs and Wreaths Across America supplied 2000 more.”

While the sheer number of volunteers available at the time was incalculable due to everyone being so spread out, according to Stocking, their efforts alone were enough to embody the event’s true meaning.

“To recognize and remember the contributions and sacrifices,” Stocking said. “Not only of the veterans but of their families as well.”

Following the bough placement, volunteers worked on clean up, hauling discarded boxes to on-site dumpsters, leaving the cemetery in pristine condition. Overall, according to Stocking, the event went well.

“I think the event went very well; the weather could have been a bit nicer but we can’t control that,” Stocking said. “It’s just a nice thing to see the community support this event, both financially and donating their time.”

Even after their successful event, the Wreath Project’s work never stops; the Stockings will be back at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery to host bough pick-up for on-site disposal at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 11. Participants are encouraged to bring a pole, dowel or wagon to make working in pairs and pickup as easy as possible. Volunteers of all ages are welcome and those with pickup trucks and trailers are needed to haul boughs to on-site dumpsters. Sign-up is not required, so those interested can show up at the specified date.

For more information, visit wreathproject.org or email [email protected] to join the email group and receive updates on Wreath Project events, early placement information and volunteer needs at the cemetery.