By David Wesley
I’m not sure who started the practice of tying a bow on your finger to remember something important but I have heard the saying over the years. There is an important bow that is tied on an evergreen wreath that is important and about remembering. The Rotary Club of the Emerald Coast is making sure that the lives of veterans laid to rest at Evergreen Memorial Gardens are remembered. Partnering with the Wreaths Across America organization, the club holds a wreath laying ceremony on markers of veterans at Evergreen Memorial Gardens each year. The wreaths are live balsam evergreens and have a red velvet bow. This is one of many national and seven local Bay County Wreaths Across America events, this is an opportunity to remember, honor and teach about the service and sacrifice of veterans.
Each year this touching ceremony brings to mind those who chose to serve their country and honors their service. It also teaches a new generation what service to our country means. Wreaths Across America asks that as each wreath is placed on the marker that the volunteers say the name of that person out loud and remember their life. Anyone who has participated feels honored to do so.
The first ceremony at Evergreen Memorial Gardens was weeks after Hurricane Michael. One family shared that due to hurricane damage to their home, for the first time in their lives, they had no Christmas tree or decorations or place to put a tree up where they sheltered. For them it brought comfort in the Christmas season to celebrate their memories of their father and Christmases past by laying fresh live fir wreaths on the markers of veterans. One of the Boy Scout volunteers shared that his grandfather was a veteran laid to rest at Evergreen and later was seen solemnly saluting his grandfather’s marker.
The free and open to the public ceremony this year is December 18, 2021 at 9 a.m. and will include special music, a guest speaker, and laying of wreaths by attendees and volunteers. Refreshments will be provided and seating available for those that need it.
Support to make this ceremony possible is provided by sponsorships from businesses in the community as well as individuals who purchase wreaths. An individual wreath is $15 and sponsorships are offered at several levels based on the level of participation the business prefers. For information on how to be a sponsor or donate wreaths please email ecrotarypcb@gmail.com.
The Rotary Club of the Emerald Coast makes veterans a high priority in their outreach to the community. The club annually hosts special parties and events for veterans at Sims Veterans Home. Perhaps the best known are the Miracle League Veterans games at Frank Brown Park each spring and fall. The Sims Veterans Home participants enjoy an outing of a one inning game and lunch together at the park. They are given a police escort, are cheered and applauded as they enter the field through the flag line and cheered on as they play by appreciative fans and family who attend.
Internationally the club is reaching out beyond the borders to encourage a better understanding of the world. They have sponsored a number of Rotary Youth Exchange students from countries around the world giving them a chance to learn firsthand about the panhandle area and life in America. The Rotary Club of the Emerald Coast partners with a sister Rotary Club in Casma, Peru. They supported the Casma club’s project to provide supplies to help curb the Covid 19 pandemic in the rural, disadvantaged regions of Peru.
Special needs children and adults are another focus of the Rotary Club of the Emerald Coast. In 2019 the club created a Rotary Community Corps club called Special Ops for youth and adults with special needs, providing activities and service opportunities. The group has had beach clean-up days, created sleeping mats and supply kits for the homeless and created decorations for the Sims Veterans Home for the different holidays throughout the year.
This holiday season of bows, remembering and gifts, The Rotary Club of the Emerald Coast offers the gifts of friendship and meaningful service which touches lives while making lasting memories. Get to know the Rotary Club of the Emerald Coast with their tradition of supplementing the international and national efforts of Rotary International by supporting the local community. The club meets on Monday evenings at 5:30 p.m. which provides a relaxing time after work to connect, learn and serve. Please email them for meeting information or any questions at ecrotarypcb@gmail.com and they are on the web at emeraldcoastrotary.com or on Facebook, Rotary Club of the Emerald Coast, PC. Contact information is also available in the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce member directory.
