YORK COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — An 11-year-old’s heartfelt wish to make sure every veteran laid to rest in Yorktown National Cemetery has a wreath for the holidays will come true this season.
After WAVY News 10 aired Cadence Smeltzer’s story in a Children of Change segment, she and her family were flooded with donations to help buy wreaths in partnership with Wreaths Across America.
Cadence raised enough more to donate about 1,000 wreaths to the cemetery. According to her mother, now every veteran honored there will have a wreath at their grave.
Cadence has worked the last few seasons to get wreaths for fallen veterans. Her first year, she donated 25 wreaths. Last year, the number grew to 57.
Still, seeing some graves without wreaths stuck with Cadence — and this year she was determined not to let a single grave go without.
This year, Cadence’s 1,000-wreath goal blew past years out of the water.
For every two wreaths bought by others, Cadence planned to put in another for free.
To donate to Freedom’s Cadence, click here.
If you know of a child doing good in your community, our Katie Collett wants to hear about it so she can feature them in her Children of Change segments.
Email her at katie.collett@wavy.com or message her on Facebook.