Members of Empathy is the Remedy team and I have been participating in annual WAA Days since 2017 to honor my late daughter, and our foundation's Founder, Nicole Joy Ledina, who passed away from a rare autoimmune condition at the age of 19.
Nicole regularly volunteered providing music and music therapy for veteran, senior and homeless events/organizations and at healthcare facilities. Some of her most rewarding experiences were working with Veterans. The Remember, Honor, and Teach mission really resonated with us after that initial event. Nicole's younger brother, Joshua, then incorporated WAA in his BSA Scouts community service activities and the planning for his Eagle Scout project. In addition, my father, CWO3 Amorsolo M. Ledina, USN Ret., is a Vietnam Veteran and we have many individuals in our extended family who have proudly served our country, so I wanted to honor them as well. Therefore, it is very fitting and appropriate that Empathy is the Remedy and I choose to partner with WAA as one of our main programs to undertake annually.
Empathy is the Remedy started working with WAA as an official fundraising group in 2021 and the following year, in 2022 WAA asked us to be the new Location Coordinator for the Riverside National Cemetery, the largest and busiest cemetery managed by the US Department of Veterans Affairs - National Cemetery Administration. There are over 315,000 veterans laid to rest and an average of 30 internments per day at this location. We specifically chose to take on this location as we uncovered that it needed the most help. Not only is it the largest and busiest location, but only about 3% or less of the veterans interred there were being Honored and Remembered with a wreath when we first started looking into partnering with WAA (that was only about 3000-4200 wreaths on average being placed there every year at the time). In 2021 when we started as a fundraising group, 7921 total wreaths were placed at the Riverside National Cemetery. In 2022, our first year coordinating this location, 10,980 wreaths were placed and in 2023 we placed over 10,000 wreaths again. Our goal is to raise that number and percentage over time and Honor and Remember as many of the 315K+ Veterans resting there as possible.
As you can see, we have quite a bit of work to do. That's over 300,000 heroes and counting that we still need to Honor and Remember. Let’s not Forget these Veterans interred at the Riverside National Cemetery . . . along with their sacrifices, and service to our country . . . Let’s not Forget these Heroes! This is where we need your help. National WAA Day occurs annually on the 2nd/3rd Saturday in December. This year we will be coordinating the ceremony and wreath laying event on Saturday, December 14, 2024. It is going to take a sustained and collective effort, care, empathy and passion from our village/community to make it happen; and every little bit from each individual can make a difference. Please join us in this endeavor.
