Fifth Grader Raises Money for 111 Wreaths for Great Lakes National Cemetery
(Mark Stowers, Dec. 14, 2019)
Holly, MI – Olivia McDowell was doing what many grandkids enjoy – hanging out with her grandfather. But after spending time with him and other Veterans, the Holly fifth grader decided to do something to help honor those servicemen who are no longer around to enjoy holidays with their families.
“At our school we do a Veterans Day show and after it my grandfather (Arthur Greene) invited me to go to a Veterans ceremony at the Holly Moose. I started to learn a lot about Veterans,” Olivia said.
Another conversation with her mom, Sara Greene McDowell steered her to the non-profit organization, Wreaths Across America.
“They raise money to put wreaths on the graves of Veterans and that gave me the idea of having my school help and raise money to buy wreaths,” Olivia said.
She presented the idea to her principal and “got it all situated and went to classes to talk about it and I hung posters on all of the teachers’ doors.” The one-day fundraising event gave students the opportunity to wear pajamas for a donation and was quite successful.
“I sent out a recorded phone message to all the parents at Patterson Elementary School about it and made announcements on the morning announcements at school,” Olivia said.
Her mom, Sara, noted the event “raised $1,665 and that is enough for 111 wreaths. She also got money donated from friends and family.”
The Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly will be the recipient of those wreaths that McDowell fundraised for.
“It really made me happy to know that people cared to honor our veterans. It made my grandfather feel very proud,” Olivia said.
Olivia’s grandfather served in Vietnam as a Military Police officer for the Army. The McDowells hope to continue the new fundraising tradition as she transfers to a much larger middle school next fall.
“The middle school alone will make it bigger as it’s twice the size of Patterson. I’m very proud of her that she took this on, set up a plan and got it approved. She went into those classrooms to talk to the students and made me very proud of her,” Sara said.
Holly area schools’ superintendent Scott Roper was proud too.
“Olivia exemplifies what Broncho Pride — perseverance, responsibility, integrity, dedication and excellence – is all about, and we are extremely proud of her leadership in honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms,” Roper said. “At Holly Area Schools, we promote a culture of kindness, compassion and respect. Olivia’s wreath project embodies all of these qualities by giving back to our supportive community.”
More info:
Wreaths Across America
Great Lakes National Cemetery