By Rita Howell

A wreath-laying ceremony will take place at Batesville’s Downtown Memorial Park Saturday at 11 a.m., honoring the memories of local veterans.

The program is being held at the same hour as similar ceremonies across the nation in communities participating in Wreaths Across America.

The project places fresh holiday wreaths at the graves of veterans in cemeteries around the country. Wreaths Across America was founded by a Maine businessman who began placing live wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery in 1992.

Pam Cousar heard about the non-profit organization and began making inquiries with the goal of placing wreaths at Batesville Magnolia Cemetery, where her son, Brandon Presley, is buried. Brandon was a young Marine killed in Iraq December 14, 2005.

Pam and her mother, Mary Presley, were able to raise funds to place wreaths on the graves of 225 veterans buried in the Batesville cemetery.

At Saturday’s ceremony representatives from all branches of the Armed Forces and POW’s will be placing wreaths at the town’s war memorial.

Then volunteers will move to Batesville Magnolia Cemetery to distribute the green wreaths with their distinctive red bows.