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Date: 12/14/2023
SOUTHWICK — A group of students from Southwick Regional School will again participate in an annual holiday season event to remember fallen veterans.
On Dec. 16, Evan Anderson, Adelina Carr, McKenna Clark, Joshua Davis-Visneau, Magnolia Dickinson, Alyssa Jacob, Lena Michael, Chloe Phillips, Kaila Pieczarka and Asher Rose will join hundreds of other volunteers to place wreaths at headstones of every veteran buried at the Massachusetts Veterans Cemetery in Agawam.
The group of SRS students is among nearly 20 groups sponsoring wreaths at the cemetery this year. The wreath-laying event on the morning of Dec. 16 is part of national Wreaths Across America Day. The wreaths don’t serve as Christmas decorations but are a way to remember veterans buried at Agawam and at other locations around the country.
Wreaths Across America is a nonprofit organization that coordinates wreath-laying ceremonies at nearly 4,000 cemeteries in the United States and abroad. It does this to remember veterans at rest, honor those who serve their country and teach America’s future leaders the value of freedom.
Students dedicated their own time to raise funds for Wreaths Across America. This year, they raised more than $1,700 to purchase 100 wreaths. Their major fundraiser was at the Dunkin’ Donuts in Westfield’s Little River Plaza on the weekend before Thanksgiving. Students talked with people about the project and collected donations for wreaths.
Wreath fundraising has been an annual student-led community project at SRS for several years. Desiree Moriarty, who teaches U.S. History at the school, said service to country is a central theme that runs through her course. She said the project gives students the opportunity to “witness the sacrifices of others” as well as serving in their own way.
“We are so proud of the students’ initiative, leadership and altruistic community involvement,” said Moriarty, who has been involved with the Wreaths Across America project since 2018. She shares responsibility with Assistant Principal Sean Rood in assisting students as they take the lead with this initiative.
Four of the 10 students talked about why they stepped up to help raise money to buy wreaths and its effect on them.
Junior Kaila Pieczarka is the event chair who helps coordinate, plan and promote the work of the volunteer group. She took over these responsibilities from her brother Ryder who graduated in June.
She said her involvement with Wreaths Across America gives her a sense of purpose. “I wanted to make sure the program continued and that more students were part of it,” she said. “It also feels good to be doing something for families of veterans — especially if they can’t do it themselves. Making sure every grave has a wreath ensures veterans buried at Agawam are recognized and none are forgotten.”
Pieczarka comes from a family of veterans — her great-grandfathers fought in World War II and her great-uncle served during Vietnam. She appreciates the sacrifices veterans have made. “Placing wreaths on veterans’ graves is a way to show our respect for them. Holidays are when people spend time with their families, so it’s a way to let families of these veterans know they’re not forgotten.”
Magnolia “Maggie” Dickson, also a junior, will experience the wreath-laying ceremony for the first time as one of the newest members of the group. She’s looking forward to Saturday.”
“I know I have to wake up early, but I feel that I need to do it. I have relatives who are buried in Arlington National Cemetery, so I can relate to families who don’t live nearby and can’t lay a wreath in person. I want to help them honor their family member who served this country,” said Dickinson.
She also feels more of a connection to four of her school’s former students — William Alamed, Travis Fuller, Richard Power and Steven Wentworth — who were killed while serving in the military. Their names and portraits, with the dates they were born and died, are on display in Southwick Regional School’s Veterans Memorial Foyer.
“We’ve had moments at school when we’ve honored them, but I feel their presence in the school hasn’t been as prominent. I honestly forgot we had people who went to our school and gave their lives for this country. Their portraits mean more to me now — I feel more connected. and grateful for their service. But I’m sad they lost their lives.”
Joshua Davis-Visneau didn’t know much about the project when Moriarity invited him to join the group this fall. “But I discovered it’s a good way for students to learn about what veterans have done for this country — and why honoring their service is so important,” said the junior.
“It’s given me a greater appreciation of veterans — more so than I already have. When I talked with people while collecting donations, I realized how much WAA means to them and how deep the roots of support for veterans are in the community,” he said.
This is Lena Michael’s third and final year working with Wreaths Across America at her school. She hopes the school will continue the Wreaths Across America project and even make it permanent.
“It’s a valuable program and it has such an impact on those of us working on this community service project,” she said. “It allows us to self-learn about honoring those who serve and remembering the service of our fallen veterans.”
Michael said she will miss working with her fellow students on the project. “I’m going to be a little sad about not being part of the group next year. It’s touched me in a way that I never thought it would. I feel better as a person because our group has been doing something good for families of fallen veterans. I don’t know anything about them — except that they sacrificed so much of themselves to serve our country.”