2025 GOAL: Honor 100 Heroes with “25 for Dom”

Help us lay 100 wreaths at Houston National Cemetery for this year’s Wreaths Across America Day.

Hello, my name is Felicia Cornett, and I am the mother of Petty Officer 2nd Class Dominic Cornett. I would like to start by telling you my story and the reason why I am making this an annual fundraiser, and why there is a need for help. I decided to start raising money early because I want to reach as many people as possible.

Please read my story:

December 25, 2025, will mark 3 years since my baby, Dominic, passed away – he was only 29. He was diagnosed with cancer on August 5, 2022, and he passed on December 25, 2022. That devastation was (and is) like nothing I have ever felt. So, honoring my baby with a wreath each year is the least that I can do, for not only bringing extreme joy to my life but for making the decision to be selfless and dedicating 8 years to serving and essentially losing his life for this country. Did I mention he developed cancer while overseas? -- but was never diagnosed there, although he went to their doctors there for years!

It will mark 2 years in December of this year when some of my family and I gathered to participate in the Wreaths Across America - Wreath Day Event. This is an event where everyone joins together and helps to lay wreaths on the veterans’ graves. This is a country-wide event that is held annually at the host city's National Cemetery, so in our case, Houston National Cemetery. It is a wonderful and honorable event to be a part of. A small gesture to honor the people who fought for this country for us to continue to live within a free society.

While preparing and then waiting for the event to begin, we discovered that not all the fallen veterans would receive a wreath each year. In 2023, there were roughly 45,000 wreaths laid at the National Cemetery in Houston, although there are over 100,000 buried. Wreaths Across America is a non-profit organization that began volunteering its time and efforts to raise funds to ensure as many veterans as possible would get a wreath each year – their goal is to be able to lay wreaths on all the veterans’ graves. However, due to the lack of funding, each year they are only able to select a different area as the designated section to receive wreaths. It did our hearts good to learn that Dom’s area was selected in 2023.

That year, in 2023, at the Wreaths Across America Event, we decided that we wanted to form a sponsorship, which would entail us laying wreaths on the 25 graves surrounding my baby to ensure they received one faithfully. In honor of Dominic, we named the sponsorship "25 for Dom", which also signifies the day of his passing. I will always provide Dominic’s wreath; however, I am asking for your help in providing for the others. It is my heartfelt request for us to fulfill this request and continue to impact this world the way Dom did – lovingly. I need your support to achieve this. Each wreath will only cost $17, and we will graciously accept any amount you can contribute.

Once the funds are gathered, I will go to Houston National Cemetery to gather the names of those who will be honored by your donations -- ensuring that they know it was made possible by your contributions honoring my son and others.

I am asking for all funds to be received no later than November 21st, because each wreath is handmade. This year’s event will be on December 13, 2025, marking the 18th anniversary for Houston's annual Wreath Day Event. Come rain or shine, I will be there, and I hope you are able to attend. Last year we surpassed our goal of 25 and were able to honor 45 veterans! We are hoping to exceed that amount this year by raising enough money to honor 100 heroes. Please help me by giving if you can and sharing this with your family, friends, and co-workers. Let's honor more of our heroes on this day. I hope to see you there.

By the way, I have decided to keep the title "25 for Dom" because it was the phrase that helped birth the idea of raising at least enough to honor 25 fallen heroes, and it still represents the day of his passing.

Please feel free to visit the National Wreaths Across America webpage to learn more about who they are. https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org

You can also visit Wreaths Across America Houston to learn more about Wreath Day or volunteer. https://waahouston.com/