CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — When the dozens of volunteers who'd just banded together to clear thousands of wreaths from Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery gravesites were told the 18-wheeler carrying those wreaths wouldn't be allowed onto a local self-storage company's property to store them, they didn't stay down long.
Instead, they came up with a plan.
After all, they'd just managed to pick up and load 6,000 wreaths into heavy-duty plastic bags in under an hour in 30-degree weather. They'd get this done, too.
As the holiday season comes to a close, and the Wreaths Across America observance wraps on another year in Corpus Christi, the cemetery put out its annual call for help. The event was re-scheduled twice -- once because of icy roads and, again, because of rain expected in the area Tuesday.
Saturday's weather wasn't ideal, either, but it didn't dampen the spirit of the Coastal Bend residents who came out to give back to those who have already given so much.
The volunteers arranged themselves outside the self-storage's front gate Saturday, and, one by one, the people -- men and women; young, old and middle-aged; veterans and civilians -- handed the heavy bags off to the person next to them.
In no time, the makeshift assembly line was moving bags through the gate, up the driveway, into the hall of the building housing the cemetery's unit, and into the unit where the wreaths will stay for another year.
"That's pretty impressive considering the weather conditions, the last minute notice, but yeah, that was great," said Nueces County Veterans Services Director JJ de la Cerda.
Families worked in units at the cemetery to pick up wreaths, while others helped load them into bags and onto the 18-wheeler circling the cemetery ready to pick them up.
"We've had a great turnout, so far," de la Cerda said. "We're getting ready for the next one."
Abigail Laurenti and her children were some of the helping hands at the cemetery and the storage unit Saturday morning. She said her family regularly participates in different veterans-related events. This is the second year they've helped with this specific event.
"I think it's good that they get to understand what service is all about," she said. "To see what our vets did for us, so we can help them just a little bit more. And to look over the cemetery as well, to see who and why they gave up their freedom for us."
While Laurenti's husband, an Air Force veteran, and their son couldn't make it out this year, she and her 7-year-old and 3-year-old daughters bundled up and lent a hand, along with other family members.
"I think it's extremely important, right?" de la Cerda said. "We've got to teach our children the value of freedom. By having them out here, that kinda shows them what we need to take care of, right? Our own. It plants the seed for our younger generation, and that's what we need here in the community."