It's Happening: Passion in Motion Brings Wreaths Across America Full Circle
By Julie Perine on January 29, 2017 from It’s Happening
Team Bridgeport and its leader Christa Parker have brought the first year of Wreaths Across America full circle.
Saturday morning, about two dozen volunteers removed 1,086 wreaths which on Dec. 17 were placed on the grave sites of U.S. veterans at Bridgeport Cemetery in Bridgeport, WV.
“It took us less than an hour,” said Christa, who initiated the national program at Bridgeport Cemetery in 2016. “We had so many volunteers come out, that we got it done so quickly.”
Starting at the top, those volunteers - which included a representation of the Bridgeport High School Soccer Team -worked their way down through the cemetery, piling wreaths up alongside of the road, after which a city dump truck picked them all up and delivered them to the cemetery burn pile.
On May 30, 2014, Christa and her 
husband Chris lost a son, Garrett Parker, in an out-of-state motorcycle accident. A graduate of Bridgeport High School – where he played on the Indian football team – Garrett had gone on to become a member of the U.S. Army, A Company, 1/15th Infantry Division, stationed in Fort Benning, Ga. He was laid to rest at Bridgeport Cemetery with full military honors; participation by both the U.S. Army 459th Engineering Company and the Harrison County Honor Guard.
husband Chris lost a son, Garrett Parker, in an out-of-state motorcycle accident. A graduate of Bridgeport High School – where he played on the Indian football team – Garrett had gone on to become a member of the U.S. Army, A Company, 1/15th Infantry Division, stationed in Fort Benning, Ga. He was laid to rest at Bridgeport Cemetery with full military honors; participation by both the U.S. Army 459th Engineering Company and the Harrison County Honor Guard.
Wreaths Across America became his mom’s passion project after she discovered it had not been brought to Bridgeport – which the Parkers consider their hometown, even though in recent years they have lived in various other states due to Master Sgt. Chris Parker’s military service.
When Christa called upon her hometown to help her make the project a success, she was blown away with the support she received. For months, she promoted Wreaths Across America, directing supporters to the Web site and instructing them how to purchase wreaths which would be placed on the grave sites in time for the holidays. She had hopes that eventually a wreath would be placed on every single military grave. After she and daughter Jenn walked the cemetery on foot, she estimated that there were between 1,500 and 2,000.
Christa assumed the project would start out small and said she would have been pleased with a couple hundred wreaths for the first year. She said her heart was bursting when, by the time ordering deadline rolled around, 1,086 had been purchased for placement at Bridgeport Cemetery.
When initiating the project, Parker said even though the pine wreaths topped with red bows would collectively provide an ornate blanket upon the city cemetery, it was about much more than that. It was about stating the name of each soldier, placing a hand on his or her gravestone and remembering the sacrifice made.
It’s amazing to me what Christa has done with her grief. She dug deep and found the fortitude to make something amazing happen. The Dec. 17 wreath-laying ceremony brought out many community members, including family members of some of the soldiers honored.
As is an option, some had asked to place the wreaths upon their family member's grave site. Each soldier's name was read as his or her wreath was presented. Brad Ford, owner of Ford Funeral Home and active community member, served as emcee. Cemetery Superintendent Kitty Sapp (who has since retired) and Parks and Recreation Director Don Burton also took active roles in the ceremony. (See more photos of the ceremony by Ben Queen Photography HERE.)
It was a first-time event which will become an annual one.
In fact, this year’s ceremony has already been planned for Sat., Dec. 16, 2017. A goal of 1,539 wreaths has been established. Parker knows that for certain now. That’s because over the last seven months – with some help from Jenn and other family members – Christa read every single obituary available for those buried at our hometown cemetery. She traveled back and forth from her home in Michigan, dedicated to the project; doing all her reading at the Bridgeport Cemetery office. As is usually the case, she said learned far more than she expected, hearing about the service of each of those soldiers and how his or her earthly life ended. Their stories have become a part of her and part of the local Wreaths Across America program.
Christa’s next idea is to implement an 
“Adopt a Veteran Tree” – similar to Salvation Army’s holiday-time “Angel Tree” project. And, of course, she’s already taken the idea and run with it, creating – with her Cricut electronic cutting machine - tags representing each branch of the military on which each of the veterans’ names will be printed. Members of the public will be able to adopt a veteran and purchase a wreath for his or her grave.
“Adopt a Veteran Tree” – similar to Salvation Army’s holiday-time “Angel Tree” project. And, of course, she’s already taken the idea and run with it, creating – with her Cricut electronic cutting machine - tags representing each branch of the military on which each of the veterans’ names will be printed. Members of the public will be able to adopt a veteran and purchase a wreath for his or her grave.
On-line purchasing will still be available, too, but she said she would tell everyone when the “buy two, get one free” promotion is again implemented. That, again, will make attainment of goal happen much quicker.
Christa said she didn’t care if her name was ever mentioned in coverage of the program. She kept shifting the praise back to Team Bridgeport. She said she’s really not surprised that Bridgeport came out in full force to support her passion project. It’s just another reason she claims the city as her hometown. I sure think we’re pretty fortunate to claim her as one of our own.
See more photos of Saturday's clean-up mission at the gallery link below.
Learn more about Wreaths Across America HERE.
The Parker family also continues to provide the Garrett Parker Scholarship to BHS graduates.
Julie Perine can be reached at 304-848-7200, ext. 2, julie@connect-bridgeport.com, on Facebook or follow @JuliePerine on Twitter.
More "It's Happening" HERE.
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