New Canaan Volunteers Honor Veterans with Memorial Day Flags
This Saturday, volunteers will gather at Lakeview Cemetery to place flags on veterans' graves, continuing a beloved New Canaan tradition that honors fallen service members while bringing the community together. The VFW Post 653 coordinates the effort, which involves planting flags at hundreds of gravesites ahead of Memorial Day.
Hundreds of American flags will soon stand in silent tribute at Lakeview Cemetery, thanks to volunteers who gather each year to honor those who served.
On Saturday, May 16 at 8 a.m., New Canaan residents will join VFW Post 653 to place flags on the gravestones of fallen soldiers. The annual tradition brings together neighbors of all ages for one of the community's most meaningful volunteer opportunities.
Frances Wilson helps organize the gathering with her husband Chris. She explains that volunteers meet in the lower veterans' section of the cemetery, accessible through the Main Street entrance. Refreshments will be served as participants work together to ensure every veteran's grave receives a flag.
The care doesn't stop with placement. Following proper flag etiquette established at Arlington Cemetery, volunteers return on June 6 to carefully remove and store the flags for next year. This practice shows respect while reducing waste and conserving the VFW's funds.
The Ripple Effect
The flag placement represents just one way VFW Post 653 serves New Canaan's veteran community year round. This donor-supported organization also lays wreaths during the Christmas season at Lakeview and other local cemeteries.
To fund these efforts, the post will distribute memorial poppies May 16 and 17 at ACME, Dunkin Donuts, Walter Stewart's Market, and Zumbach's. Any donation to the nonprofit earns supporters one of these symbolic flowers.
Commander Mike McGlinn asks residents to help ensure no veteran goes unrecognized. Anyone who knows of a veteran interred in New Canaan without a memorial flag and wreath can call him at 203-962-1302.
Tax-deductible donations support the VFW's mission of remembering and honoring those who served. Checks can be sent to Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 653, P.O. Box 653, New Canaan, CT 06840, or made online through the organization's website.
As spring daffodils bloom throughout the cemetery grounds, these American flags will soon stand alongside them in grateful remembrance.
Based on reporting by Google: volunteers help
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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