Wreath fluffing begins royalty’s volunteer service for holiday season

Special to Leader-Press

Seven-year-old Brayden Chase and his family spread out the branches on the wreaths, one by one, talking quietly among themselves. Chase relished this special time with his family. After all, his grandpa is his hero.
Chase, the reigning Little Mister Copperas Cove Five Hills, and other members of the royalty helped prepare nearly 8,000 wreaths that will be laid on Saturday at the Central Texas Veterans Cemetery. Chase’s grandfather retired from the military as a first sergeant in 2001 after more than two decades of service.  
“It was important to fluff the wreaths so they look pretty when we put them on the graves of people that died,” the first grader said. “Merry Christmas to the families that the wreaths will touch.”
School groups, civic clubs and hundreds more volunteers assisted in the wreath preparation before they were loaded up into a large truck in advance to Saturday’s wreath laying event. 
 Copperas Cove Five Hills Ambassador Emily Kimball participated in the event for the second consecutive year. 
“It felt very humbling to fluff wreaths for the fallen veterans. It’s important to honor the sacrifice that these veterans made for us and the freedoms that we have,” Kimball said. “Because my grandpa is a retired veteran, it’s important to me that our service members get the honor they deserve.”
The royalty have prepared wreaths every year since the pageant’s inception five years ago. The titleholders will also lay the wreaths on the veterans’ graves this Saturday and retrieve the wreaths after the first of the year, remove the bows and prepare them for storage until the next year.
Wreath laying begins on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Central Texas Veterans Cemetery at 11463 South Highway 195 in Killeen. Volunteers are requested to park at Texas A&M Central Texas and shuttle buses will run 8 a.m. – noon. Bikers who wish to escort the wreaths to the cemetery are to meet at 8 a.m. at the Killeen Special Events Center. Following opening ceremonies, family members lay wreaths on their loved one’s graves first. Volunteers then disperse the remaining wreaths until every grave has one.