Richland Self Storage in Aiken, S.C., hosted a community barbecue on July 3 to celebrate Independence Day and raise funds for Wreaths Across America (WAA), a nonprofit organization that places wreaths on the graves of fallen servicemen. The storage operator donated money to the cause and encouraged its customers to contribute.

Mitchell Fretwell, a U.S. Navy veteran who was at the facility helping his daughter, Sherise, move into her storage unit, told the source he was “glad” to see local businesses stepping up. “I’m a Vietnam vet, so I understand that we need to help our veterans as much as we can.”

A golf tournament held earlier in the week also raised funds for WAA. Hosted at Houndslake Country Club, the event was organized by Tony Venetz Sr. in honor of his son, Anthony Venetz Jr., a Green Beret who died in 2011 from a non-combat-related incident in Afghanistan, the source reported.

Peter Palmere, facility manager for Richland Self Storage, presented Venetz with a check during the holiday event, choosing to support the cause on a local level so wreaths might be displayed in Aiken cemeteries, Palmere told the source. “We want to recognize people who have sacrificed for our future. That’s what we’re about, and that’s what we want this organization and local people to know,” he said.

The donation “meant a lot to the organization,” Venetz told the source. “It’s important to give our veterans the respect they deserve, and there’s no better time to do that than right now.”

Founded in 2007, WAA supports and coordinates wreath-laying ceremonies nationwide. In 2014, its national network of volunteers laid more than 700,000 memorial wreaths at 1,000 locations in the United States and beyond.

Opened in 2014, Richland Self Storage is owned by Brad Brodie and Dr. Nini Patheja. The facility offers traditional and climate-controlled storage.

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