Lakewood supports veterans’ service at Saluting Branches
Published on September 30, 2024
Oct. 1, 2024 – Arborists and park employees from the City of Lakewood joined 315 registered volunteers at Fort Logan National Cemetery for the 10th annual Saluting Branches event, making it the largest event site in the nation. Saluting Branches is the largest single-day service event in the forestry industry and is dedicated to honoring and recognizing the sacrifices and services of our military veterans.
More than 80 trees were planted by volunteers at Fort Logan this year. Twenty-four Lakewood employees joined volunteers from across the state to provide pruning, tree health evaluations, stump removals, insect and disease treatments and tree mapping services.
“Over 300 arborists and landscape professionals volunteered to provide nearly half a million dollars worth of services to make our urban forest safer and more beautiful for the community,” said event organizer and Lakewood Forestry Supervisor Luke Killoran. “Together, we’ve not only honored our veterans but also grown this event into something truly impactful. We are deeply grateful to all of the volunteers for their generosity and dedication.”
Since its founding in 2015, the Saluting Branches event has brought together more than 15,000 arborists and tree care professionals at 100 veteran-focused sites across 48 states. The hours volunteered by participants translate into more than $15 million worth of donated services to the nation’s veteran cemeteries. Learn more about Saluting Branches by visiting Salutingbranches.org