Romulus Memorial Cemetery will be
part of the national Say Their Names
project this Saturday.
The event is part of the national non-
profit Wreaths Across America(WAA)
project and this is the first year that the
Romulus cemetery will be joining more
than 1,000 participating locations across
the country on Saturday to “Say Their
Names.”
Romulus volunteers will place
remembrance wreaths on the head-
stones of veterans interred there and
announce the names of all these local
heroes to ensure that the individuals
who served to protect the freedoms of
America are not, and never will be, for-
gotten. This local initiative is being
organized by the Romulus Veterans
Outreach Committee andRomulus VFW
Post #9568.
“Without the thousands of local volun-
teers across the country who give their
time and energy to support the mission,
Wreaths Across America would not
exist,” said Karen Worcester, WAA exec-
utive director. “All our supporters under-
stand the value of remembering the fall-
en, honoring those who currently serve,
and the need to teach the next genera-
tion about the sacrifices made for our
freedom.”
National Wreaths Across America
Day is a free community event open to
all people. The local event will begin at
10 a.m. Dec. 17 with a ceremony and lay-
ingwreaths shortly after.
The Romulus Memorial Cemetery
was established in 1832. More than 250
veterans are buried there including, 25
Civil War Veterans, and a Medal of
Honor recipient of the Spanish
AmericanWar.
For more information on how to get
involved, call (734) 955-8964.
Since 1992, WAA founder Morrill
Worcester has always asked volunteers
placing remembrance wreaths to take
time to read the name on the headstone
aloud. During the escort of wreaths to
Arlington National Cemetery last
December, Worcester stated, “A person
dies twice: the first time, when they stop
breathing, and a second time, when
someone says their name for the last
time.”
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December 15, 2016
I
NKSTER
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OMULUS
Holiday spirit
Basketball Legends of Inkster
help 100 families at Christmas
Say Their Names will honor veterans Saturday
One hundred families in Inkster will
have a brighter holiday again this year,
thanks to the efforts of the Basketball
Legends of Inkster.
President and Director of Basketball
Legends of Inkster Fred Smiley and a
large group of volunteers helped package
and organize food baskets, toys and gifts
for the families, all funded by donations
and the annual Christmas raffle the
Basketball Legends organize. Help came,
too, from the Kroger store in Dearborn
Heights and Meijer, where volunteers
shopped for goods for the families, Smiley
said.
Winners this year in the annual
Christmas raffle were announced last
week, just before the giveaway took place.
Daniel Poncywon 10th prizewhichwas
dinner for two at Red Lobster; Yolanda
Holmes won dinner for two at They Say
restaurant; Ken Smith won dinner for two
at Urban Soul restaurant and R.L Harris
won a case of Choice sirloin steaks, which
was seventhprize.
Sixth prize, a Wilson golf bag and a
dozen golf balls went to Eddie Hartman
while fifth prize was awarded to Mindoro
Perdue who won a one-day weekend stay
at the Marriott Hotel in Romulus. Fourth
prize went to Jim White who won a one-
day weekend stay at the SheratonHotel in
Romulus.
Third prize, a party for 10 at the Wayne
Bowl, went to Percel Singleton and second
prize, a party blast for 15 at the Romulus
AthleticCenter, went toRobinTuberville.
First prize this year, a 24-inch flat
screen television went to Anthony
McNeil.
The grand prize, two tickets to see
Lebron James and the World Champion
Cleveland Cavaliers vs the Detroit Pistons
went toCarl Sanders.
Bonus prizes were awarded to Irene
Franklin, who received an official NBA
Tablet and a Cleveland Cavaliers mug;
Danielle Wright who won a Tristan
Thompson autographed basketball and
mug and Kay Borges who won a World
Champion Cleveland Cavaliers shirt, hat
andbag.
Smiley offered his gratitude to all those
who donated the prizes, including: George
Blaha, piston tickets; Tim Nash, 24-inch
flat screen TV; Wayne Bowl; Romulus
Athletic Center; Don Kerr, Sheraton
Hotel; Crystal Hudson, Marriott Hotel;
State Farm -Clayton Ness; Gino, Fairway
Meats; John Thompson, Urban Soul
Restaurant; Terry Payne, They Say
Restaurant and Lisa, Red Lobster in
Dearborn.
The Cleveland Cavaliers donated all
the bonus prizes.
Smiley said the group owed a special
thanks to the Sheraton for providing the
facility for the prize drawings and to all
who participated in the event.
All the proceeds from the raffle were
used for the Basketball Legends of Inkster
ChristmasGiveaway, Smiley said.
Smiley also said he wanted to especial-
ly thank Lawrence Simmons of Low 14
Films for a video of the actual raffle draw-
ing.
Dennis Spencer and Clint Barnett were among the many volunteers from the
Basketball Legends of Inkster who helped 100 families with groceries and gifts for the
Christmas holiday during the annual giveaway this month. Volunteers from Kroger in
Dearborn Heights helped package food and volunteers shopped at Meijer for the fami-
lies.
Volunteers get ready to shop for families at Meijer along with Basketball Legends of
Inkster Director Fred Smiley and shopping organizer Larry Spencer.
