AT&T Veterans Text-to-Donate Campaign Expands in 2020


Wreaths Across America volunteers always share compelling stories of connections they’ve made supporting the mission to remember, honor, and teach. More often than not, those connections lead to life-long friendships and symbolize the unity and passion our nation has for honoring fallen hometown heroes. Some of those grassroots connections help Wreaths Across America grow toward its eventual goal to honor every American veteran no matter where they’re laid to rest.

Gold Star Dad Chris Bush is the Wreaths Across America volunteer Location Coordinator (LC) for the Dallas-Fort Worth DFW National Cemetery. Wreaths Across America struck a chord with Chris after his son, Peter Courcy, was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2009. “It was a way for us to honor his sacrifice,” Chris explained. “When we started with Wreaths Across America, there were no wreath sponsorships at DFW. We started raising wreath sponsorships, and last year we received a wreath for every veteran, for the first time.” 

Chris and his wife Mary did something else too, that turned into a real blessing. “We were approached by some volunteers with the Dallas chapter of the AT&T Veterans group and they wanted to know how they could get more involved. After some more discussion, they came up with the text-to-donate concept.” 

The 2019 Text-To-Donate pilot project with the AT&T Veterans and the Mobile Giving Foundation was a big success for raising much-needed veteran’s wreath sponsorships for National Wreaths Across America Day. “It worked out really well for us at DFW, and it’s nice to know that when you’re talking with people about Wreaths Across America, they can donate a veteran’s wreath right on the spot.” It’s easy to do! Text WREATH# to 20222 to donate in support of the participating National Cemetery of your choice.

In addition to DFW-WREATH1, Arlington-WREATH22, and the WAA General Fund-WREATH, the text-to-donate model is being expanded in 2020 to six participating locations in Florida. They are: 

Florida Cemeteries

Keyword

Homestead (Palms Woodlawn Cemetery) 27100 Old Dixie Highway, Naranja, FL 33032

WREATH30

Serenity Meadows Funeral Home, 6919 Providence Road, Riverview, FL 33578

WREATH31

Florida National Cemetery, 6502 SW 102nd Ave, Bushnell, FL 33513

WREATH32

Cape Canaveral National Cemetery, 5525 US HWY 1, Mims, FL 32754

WREATH 321

Jacksonville National Cemetery (FLJNC), 4083 Lannie Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32218

WREATH33

South Florida National Cemetery, 6501 S State Rd 7, Lake Worth, FL 33449

WREATH34

  

Randy Lewer is a veteran, the Wreaths Across America LC for Florida National Cemetery, and he serves on the Wreaths Across America Board of Directors. “I’m really excited for this (text-to-donate),” Lewer shared. “I think this is going to make it so much easier for folks to donate down here. I’d like to see the same success Dallas had with the pilot. I’d like to think we may be able to double our wreath count. It’s so spontaneous, and people don’t have to go online and fill out forms.”

Wreaths Across America expresses its sincere gratitude to the AT&T Veterans and Mobile Giving Foundation, and all of the committed volunteers, like Chris and Randy, who continue to talk with people about the impact of the mission and what it means to them to remember, honor, and teach.