Thousands lay wreaths at Arlington

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ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Some 6,000 volunteers came to Arlington National Cemetery to place wreaths on the U.S. military graves there, event organizers said.

The Saturday ceremony was sponsored by Wreaths Across America, a non-profit organization that grew out of the Arlington Wreaths Project, CNN reported.

The U.S. broadcaster said the event was made possible through contributions by the Wal-Mart Foundation and other veterans' organizations.

The Washington Post reported that Wreaths Across America has placed more than 16,000 wreaths to cemeteries across the country this holiday season, including areas at the Pentagon, on graves at Fayetteville National Cemetery in Arkansas, at Battery Park in New York City and at the memorial site for United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa.

"It's a small way civilians can support our troops," Charleen Hunt, 70, of Washington, told the Post. "It's like visiting a family grave site."