Military
Comcast NBCUniversal Honors Veterans and Their Families on National Wreaths Across America Day
Military
Comcast NBCUniversal Honors Veterans and Their Families on National Wreaths Across America Day
Dec 21, 2022
On Saturday, Dec. 17, hundreds of Comcasters teamed up with military community members and other volunteers to lay wreaths on the graves of veterans at 32 cemeteries across the country.
National Wreaths Across America Day is an annual tradition of honoring the memories and service of veterans and their families. This is the seventh consecutive year that Comcast NBCUniversal has participated in this nationwide initiative, and we were proud to expand our reach in 2022 through Team UP, our year-round national employee volunteer program that brings teams together and provides opportunities for them to get more involved in their local communities.
For Senior Business Account Executive Michelle Whitehead, Saturday’s commemorative activities were especially meaningful. Her late husband, Army veteran Troy Whitehead, is one of the many soldiers now laid to rest at the Arlington National Cemetery, and she said she felt supported by her coworkers and the company in honoring his memory.
“The Wreaths Across America event means a lot to me,” Whitehead said. “I was grateful to have the support of my Comcast NBCUniversal family as I paid my respects to my late husband and high school sweetheart.”
It’s important to remember the sacrifices that our service members have made, and I feel proud to work for a company that does so much for the military community.
Sean Casey, Senior Director of Communications for Military and Veteran Affairs, echoed Whitehead’s sentiments.
As a combat veteran and lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, Casey understands the sacrifices veterans and their families make for our country. Accompanied by his wife and two daughters, he visited the gravesite of his father-in-law at the Washington Crossing National Cemetery in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. His daughters, both of whom had never been to the cemetery before, looked on with admiration as he and his wife adorned the headstone with a wreath and then paused for a moment of silence.
"My daughters only know their grandfather through others' memories. Laying a wreath at his final resting place is the closest they'll be to him physically, but I hope the tradition deepens their connection to him as a grandfather, Navy sailor, doctor, and an overall wonderful man," Casey said.
Also in Pennsylvania, members of the Veterans Network (VetNet) and Black Employee Network (BEN) gathered at the Historic Eden Cemetery. Established in 1902, Eden is Philadelphia’s oldest African American burial grounds and the final resting place for thousands of veterans from various wars.
“It was an honor to attend the first-ever Wreaths Across America ceremony at this historic cemetery,” said Sales Operations Manager and Army veteran Davida Riggins, who led the charge at Eden Saturday. “I was moved by the incredible sacrifices these veterans made for our country and by the work of the volunteers who ensure their memory is not forgotten. This was an extraordinary day of service from the community, and my heart is full.”
VetNet members also volunteered to lay wreaths at cemeteries in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
Comcast NBCUniversal’s participation in Wreaths Across America aligns with our commitment to supporting military communities and the Team UP mission to serve, give, and grow. In total, the company donated 2,800 remembrance wreaths for this year’s ceremonies.
