On Memorial Day, California American Water (Cal Am) sponsored the Truman Center for National Policy Rose Ceremony at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, the second largest national cemetery located in San Diego.
The annual Ceremony was launched in 2015 to connect the military population with the greater San Diego community and reflect on the sacrifices of Americans who gave their lives serving the country. The Truman Center invited community leaders and elected officials to join a small group of veterans and hear the stories of men and women lost while defending the nation.
Since its inception, the ceremony has grown exponentially from 20 volunteers distributing 1,000 roses in 2015 to 6,600 roses distributed by 140 volunteers in 2016 and more than 950 volunteers distributing more than 30,000 roses in 2017. This year, Cal Am representatives Brian Barreto, External Affairs, and Rich Svindland, President, joined Manuel Quintero, HR Business Partner, and more than 600 volunteers to place a rose at each grave marker at Fort Rosecrans. More than 30,000 roses were distributed throughout the cemetery during Ceremony.
