10,000 holiday wreaths to be placed on graves at Sarasota National Cemetery

BRADENTON -- Last year, 6,300 holiday wreaths were placed on grave sites at Sarasota National Cemetery.

This year, 10,000 will be needed to decorate each of the final resting places for veterans there.

Don Courtney, president of the Manatee Veterans Council, updated the group at the monthly meeting Thursday.

Sarasota National Cemetery opened in January 2009 and averages about 10 funeral services a day. Among the

notable veterans at rest there is Tampa's Rick Casares, who served in the Army. Mr. Casares died last year. He was a star fullback at the University of Florida and played 12 years in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins.

Sarasota Military Academy students and local veterans will place the wreaths starting at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 13, followed by a ceremony at 11:30 a.m.

For donor information, visit waasarasota.com.

In other business at the Manatee Veterans Council meeting:

The council donated $500 to Southeastern Guide Dogs' Paws for Patriots program.

Infantry veteran Nick Olson brought a chocolate Lab, "Bobby," to the meeting, and explained that Paws has three components: guide dogs for the visually impaired, service dogs for veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, and facility dogs to spread cheer and encouragement for wounded veterans in military hospitals.

The dogs are provided at no cost to the vet.

A series of walkathons is planned in several Southwest Florida communities to pay for Southeastern's programs. The Bradenton event is planned on the Riverwalk Feb. 21.

Deb Kehoe and Kathy Shelton of Rosedale Golf and Country Club in East Manatee briefed the council on the Homes for Our Troops Golf Tourney set for Jan. 31.

Homes for Our Troops has built and donated about 170 homes across the United States to severely disabled veterans. In 2011, the program built a home at Harrison Ranch in Parrish for Army Staff Sgt. Juan Roldan.

Roldan, 27, was seriously injured in Iraq in December 2006, during an explosion that killed two of his comrades. Roldan had both legs amputated below the knee and suffered a traumatic brain injury and spine injuries.

For information about the tourney, email kehoes2@aol.com.

James A. Jones Jr., Herald reporter, can be contacted at 941-745-7053 or on Twitter @jajones1.

This story was originally published November 21, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "10,000 holiday wreaths to be placed on graves at Sarasota National Cemetery ."