Come December, Christina Colantoni, of Slippery Rock Township, and her team of volunteers hope to place wreaths at the 516 veteran graves at Slippery Rock Cemetery on Cemetery Road.

Colantoni, who serves as the coordinator for Wreaths Across America, works to honor deceased veterans through the program, which nationwide aims to place wreaths at graves each holiday season. This year’s ceremonial event at the Slippery Rock Cemetery is slated for Dec. 16.

To make this happen, Colantoni needs 516 wreaths, which cost $17 apiece.

Currently, 90 wreaths have been sponsored. That’s just more than 17% of the target, leaving 430 to go.

The event is incredibly meaningful to the families of those deceased veterans — it’s impact felt across the community.

The ask of the community leading up the event is small by comparison.

According to WalletHub, the maximum holiday budget in Pittsburgh was $1,323 for last year’s holiday season. (This year’s numbers are yet to be released.)

The personal finance company had calculated the maximum holiday budget for more than 550 cities across the country factoring in income, age and other demographics, noting that overspending leads to credit card debt.

And while we won’t tell you what you should or shouldn’t spend on your holiday shopping, it’s worth noting that $17 is meager compared to the number calculated by WalletHub.

Before breaking out our wallets for our own December celebrations, we urge you to consider purchasing a wreath for a deceased veteran.

For every two wreaths donated, Colantoni said she will receive one free from Wreaths Across America.

“It’s a worthwhile program to recognize the veterans who were willing to sacrifice their lives for us,” she said in an article published in the Sept. 26 edition of the Butler Eagle.

To donate a wreath, visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/175553/Overview. The website also allows people to indicate an interest in volunteering.

— TL