2024 BOUGH LAYING

Each December, holiday boughs are placed on all the gravesites at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery (SVNC) in honor of our veterans resting there.  This tradition began in 2006 when the cemetery opened and it is one of the few in the country to have 100% coverage each year.  To reach that goal again this year, we will need to purchase 35,000 boughs.  Funds are collected year-round and boughs are purchased in advance; the public is invited to help place the boughs at SVNC.

Join us Saturday, December 14, 2024 with placements starting at 7:30 AM. There will also be a Wreaths Across America program that same day starting at 9:00 AM, and that is open to the public.  This is a great event for all ages.  

A few important notes before you go…

• Carpooling and arriving early is encouraged.  We anticipate a few thousand in attendance on Saturday, December 14th.  Please follow directions from the SVNC staff who will be directing traffic and parking.  This is important for Friday, December 13th, when we have the trucks delivering the boughs, the laying on December 14th, and also clean-up day on January 11th.  

• How to place the bough:  Grab the bough by the stem.  This is the top of the bough, where the bow is.  Take a few minutes and read the name on the gravesite and then lean the bough up so the stem hits the headstone right under the first name.  Take another minute or two to fix up the bow so it looks nice.  

• One (1) bough per gravesite. There are enough boughs for each gravesite to get one bough each. If there is a name on the backside (where the numbers are at the top of the headstone), please leave just one bough on the front side to ensure that all gravesites receive one bough.

• Headstones with Star of David: We went to ensure that everyone’s beliefs and practices are being respected. For those gravesites with the Star of David above the name, you will see small signs at each of the gravesites asking volunteers to please respect their faith and not to place a bough with a red X. For the families that have requested a bough be placed on their gravesite you will see a small sign there asking volunteers to please respect their wishes and to leave the bough with a green ✔. If families wish to have a bough placed at their family member’s gravesite, please contact SVNC’s management team and they will replace the sign with the green ✔. Please note, if any boughs are placed on a gravesite with a red X, SVNC will remove it to ensure the faith and practices are being respected of the individual.

• Clean Up Day - Saturday, January 11, 2025 - we need volunteers to join us again at SVNC to help us pick up the boughs and dispose of them on-site. We will need to bring all of the boughs to the curb and then we will load them into garbage trucks that will be going to each of the sections. You may may bring a pole or dowel to work in pairs and string boughs on them for easy pick up. Or, bring a wagon to load up. Volunteers of all ages are welcome and this usually takes 90 minutes or so; no sign-up required, just show up!

For families and friends wanting a more private placement, boughs will be available for pick up at the following locations starting on Saturday, December 7th.  You may pick up a bough and place it any time before the public event Saturday, December 14th.  You will notice that this year there will be an early pick up location at the cemetery and it will be a drive-thru station again.  You do not need to donate to participate.

Call or text Susie at 707.249.5852 for any questions.