ELMIRA, NY (WENY) -- A national event honoring fallen veterans is already preparing for the 2023 season.

Wreaths Across America will take place on Sunday, December 16th. The event aims to place wreaths at the graves of service members at national cemeteries and other locations across the country. Locally, Wreaths Across America ceremonies are held at Woodlawn National Cemetery in Elmira, Bath National Cemetery in Bath, and at local cemeteries in Blossburg and Mansfield, Pennsylvania.

At Woodlawn, about 8,000 wreaths are needed to lay one at each gravesite. In 2022, about 6,000 wreaths were laid by several hundred volunteers.

This year, local organizers want supporters to be aware of a price increase; the cost to sponsor a wreath increased from $15 to $17. Vietnam veteran Larry Sherman said they are looking forward to the continued community support of this heartwarming event.

"Placement day is breathtaking, most days. This year [2022] we had a little snow on the ground, you have those white headstones with the wreath laying up against it, and everything is white around it. It really hits home in a drastic measure because you realize there's a fallen veteran right there," Sherman said. 

Th sponsor a wreath to be laid at Woodlawn National Cemetery in Elmira, you can pick up a form at the Vietnam War Museum at 1200 Davis Street. You can also make a donation online by clicking here.