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A young volunteer places a wreath during the 2015 National Wreaths Across America event at Arlington National Cemetery December 12, 2015 in Arlington, VA. More than 50,000 volunteers helped to place remembrance wreaths on 230,000 gravestones at Arlington on Saturday. AFP PHOTO/MOLLY RILEY / AFP / MOLLY RILEY (Photo credit should read MOLLY RILEY/AFP/Getty Images)
A young volunteer places a wreath during the 2015 National Wreaths Across America event at Arlington National Cemetery December 12, 2015 in Arlington, VA. More than 50,000 volunteers helped to place
A man places wreaths at gravesites during the 2015 National Wreaths Across America event at Arlington National Cemetery on December 12, 2015 in Arlington, Virginia. AFP PHOTO/MOLLY RILEY / AFP / MOLLY RILEY (Photo credit should read MOLLY RILEY/AFP/Getty Images)
A man places wreaths at gravesites during the 2015 National Wreaths Across America event at Arlington National Cemetery on December 12, 2015 in Arlington, Virginia. AFP PHOTO/MOLLY RILEY / AFP / MOLLY RILEY
A man places wreaths at gravesites during the 2015 National Wreaths Across America event at Arlington National Cemetery on December 12, 2015 in Arlington, Virginia. AFP PHOTO/MOLLY RILEY / AFP / MOLLY RILEY (Photo credit should read MOLLY RILEY/AFP/Getty Images)
A man places wreaths at gravesites during the 2015 National Wreaths Across America event at Arlington National Cemetery on December 12, 2015 in Arlington, Virginia. AFP PHOTO/MOLLY RILEY / AFP / MOLLY RILEY
A Vietnam Veteran places a wreath at a gravesite during the 2015 National Wreaths Across America event at Arlington National Cemetery on December 12, 2015 in Arlington, Virginia. AFP PHOTO/MOLLY RILEY / AFP / MOLLY RILEY (Photo credit should read MOLLY RILEY/AFP/Getty Images)
A Vietnam Veteran places a wreath at a gravesite during the 2015 National Wreaths Across America event at Arlington National Cemetery on December 12, 2015 in Arlington, Virginia. AFP PHOTO/MOLLY RILEY / AFP /
Wreaths are placed at gravesites during the 2015 National Wreaths Across America event at Arlington National Cemetery on December 12, 2015 in Arlington, Virginia. AFP PHOTO/MOLLY RILEY / AFP / MOLLY RILEY (Photo credit should read MOLLY RILEY/AFP/Getty Images)
Wreaths are placed at gravesites during the 2015 National Wreaths Jokerbet Across America event at Arlington National Cemetery on December 12, 2015 in Arlington, Virginia. AFP PHOTO/MOLLY RILEY / AFP / MOLLY RILEY
The graves of Texas veterans and other famous Texans at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin will be included in the Wreaths Across America (WAA) ceremony for the first time this month.
Tombs of Texas notables including Stephen F. Austin, Bob Bullock, Tom Landry, Chris Kyle, Jake Pickle, Darrell K. Royal and Barbara Jordan as well as more than 2,000 others will be placed with a wreath for the holidays, according to a Texas State Cemetery news release.
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Groups like Regents School of Austin’s Boy Scout Troop 25 have been raising funds and organizing volunteers to make the Dec. 1 7 wreath-laying on 2,978 graves possible, WAA’s Austin division said on Facebook.
WAA Austin has not reached its wreath count, which stands at 1,163 as of Friday afternoon. The donation period has been extended to Dec. 3 at midnight to accrue more donations in order to reach their goal. Each wreath costs $15.
Texas State Cemetery Coordinator Charlotte Waldrum told mySA.com the organization remains “optimistic” that they will able to place wreaths on 100 percent of the graves.
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“The Texas State Cemetery is a treasure for not only the Austin community but also for the entire state,” Austin Regent for Daughters of the American Revolution Jamie Durham Burchfield said in the release. “We are excited to partner with WAA to honor our nation’s veterans and remember their sacrifices during the holiday season.”
Last holiday season, according to the release, more than 900,100 WAA wreaths were placed at 1,100 locations across the country — to include 100 percent of the 240,185 graves at the Arlington National Cemetery.
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The same event will be taking place this year at 1,200 locations around the world, including the Texas State Cemetery, according to the release.
Click here to donate to the cause or sign up to volunteer on Dec. 17.
The U.S. government does not fund the wreaths for graves, according to release.
mmendoza@mysa.com
Twitter: @MaddySkye
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