WAUPACA VETERANS CEMETERY GETS HOLIDAY WREATHS

WAUPACA FOUNDRY WORKERS RAISE FUNDS FOR GRAVESITES 

(Waupaca, WI) Dec. 10, 2018—One Waupaca area teen got her Christmas wish already, and it has nothing to do with online shopping or going to the mall.

Chloe Heisler has been active in the Wreaths Across America program for the last four years. On December 15, national “Wreaths Across America Day,” she and her family will be laying wreaths on the graves at the Central Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in King. This year thanks to her fundraising and donations raised by the Waupaca chapter of the American Legion Riders Association of Wisconsin, all 7,274 graves at King will bear holiday wreaths.

The Heisler family became interested in the effort because Chloe’s grandfather is a Vietnam Veteran who served in the 101st Airborne division. She feels every veteran deserves to be honored. 

“When I was younger our family laid wreaths at the cemetery, but only about a third of the graves were covered,” Chloe said. “Every single person buried in that cemetery has risked their lives for us. Each and every single person in that cemetery has given their lives to make ours so much better.”

Chloe is a senior at Weyauwega-Fremont High School, but in her free time she raises money to fund the wreath effort. In the last few years, the top amount she raised was $8,000. She works in partnership with the Waupaca chapter of the American Legion Riders Association of Wisconsin.

 Evelyn McSherry is the secretary for District 8 of the American Legion Riders Association of Wisconsin. She acknowledges Chloe’s efforts have been a big help and credits donations from Chloe’s employer, Waupaca Foundry, with helping them reach their goal. Waupaca Foundry is proud to employ the men and women who have served in the armed forces—10% of the nationwide workforce are veterans.

“They pretty much put us over the top this year with their donation,” McSherry said. “At the very end we were wondering if we were going to make it, but when Waupaca Foundry sent their donation, we knew we would be able to cover every headstone.”

Chloe and her father, Daniel Heisler, both work at Waupaca Foundry, an annual donor for the effort. Chloe is a work/study student at the foundry where she works in the laboratory testing cast iron parts. She hopes to enter college and work toward a degree in chemistry and biology.

This very motivated young person says Christmas is the best time of year to thank veterans. “They’ve risked their lives in so many different ways and spent days and months away from their families, and I think everyone should be grateful for what veterans have done for their country,” Chloe said.

Chloe, her family, and volunteers from the American Legion Riders Association will be placing the wreaths on the gravestones at King Saturday, Dec. 15 at 10 am. The location is N2665 Cty Rd QQ King, Wisconsin.

For more information on Waupaca Foundry please visit www.waupacafoundry.com

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About Waupaca Foundry, Inc. Waupaca Foundry, Inc., North America’s leading supplier of iron castings to the automotive, commercial vehicle, agriculture, construction, and industrial markets, produces gray iron castings, ductile iron castings, HNM™ series high-strength ductile iron, and austempered ductile iron castings using state of-the-art processes and technology. The manufacturer also specializes in precision machining and assembly. Waupaca Foundry is Headquartered in Waupaca, Wisconsin and operates seven iron foundries located in Waupaca, Wisconsin, Marinette, Wisconsin, Tell City, Indiana, Etowah, Tennessee, and Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. The company operates machining and assembly in Waupaca, Wisconsin and Effingham, Illinois. Waupaca employs approximately 4,500 people. For more information, visit www.waupacafoundry.com.

About Hitachi Metals, Ltd. Hitachi Metals, Ltd., (TSE: 5486), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with consolidated revenue totaling 1,023 billion yen in fiscal 2018 (ended March 31, 2019). The company manufactures and markets a diverse portfolio of specialty steel products, magnetic materials and applications, functional components and equipment, wires, cables, and related products. For more information, visit https://www.hitachi-metals.co.jp/e/