Remember the True Meaning of Memorial Day: To Honor and Remember Our Fallen Heroes and the Families They Left Behind!

PHOENIX, May 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- U-Haul is teaming up with The Memorial Day Foundation to remind the public to remember the true meaning of Memorial Day: "To remember that the true meaning of Memorial Day is to honor and remember those Americans who died defending freedom."

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Memorial Day IS NOT about getting an extra day off from work, having a picnic with family and friends, or taking advantage of the many sales that will be offered.  Unfortunately, many Americans don't know what Memorial Day is all about.

The Memorial Day Foundation is running an initiative to involve the public in patriotism and remembrance through historical and traditional ways of observing Memorial Day. One such way is with flowers. The gift of flowers at a memorial site is a ritual practiced worldwide in every culture.  Memorial Day began as Decoration Day, on May 30^th , when Americans would decorate the graves of Civil War veterans with flowers. 

Today, The Memorial Day Foundation continues this tradition by bringing floral bouquets of artificial silk flowers flag-draped in red, white and blue to pay tribute to those who fought and died for us.  The tradition of red flowers is meant to be a symbol of the blood that was shed for our freedom and liberty, and dates back to the Civil War. Red roses also are the universal symbol of love.  In addition, each bouquet will have a thank-you card attached to it that the donor has the option of signing. Thank-you cards indicating war service will be placed at memorials in Washington, D.C.

Bouquets will be delivered by The Memorial Day Foundation and U-Haul to national war memorials on Friday, May 24, 2013, so that they will be in place for the entire Memorial Day weekend.

A portion of every donation made will be given to the Wounded Warrior Project, in the long-held tradition of honoring our dead and helping our wounded. The donation amount is very low, to encourage the greatest participation by the American public.  Bouquets start at $15 and can be purchased online at www.memorialdayfoundation.org or by calling 718-383-2877.

Contact:
Paul D'Elia
917-862-2950
The Memorial Day Foundation
www.memorialdayfoundation.org

About Memorial Day Foundation
The Memorial Day Foundation's mission is to increase awareness and respect for Memorial Day. We are trying to fullfil our mission by involving the public in our historical and traditional ways of remembering Memorial Day. One of these traditional ways is with flowers. The gift of flowers at a memorial site is a ritual that occurs around the world in every culture. As you probably know, our own Memorial Day began as Decoration Day, when on the 30th of May Americans would decorate the graves of Civil War veterans with flowers.  Today, The Memorial Day Foundation continues this tradition.  The Memorial Day Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization, and all donations are tax deductible. The Memorial Day Foundation has no paid positions and relies on volunteers, donors and services offered free of charge.  Learn more by visiting www.memorialdayfoundation.org.     

About U-Haul
U-Haul was founded by a Navy veteran who grew up during the Great Depression. Tires and gas were still rationed or in short supply during the late 1940s when U-Haul began serving U.S. customers. Today, that background is central to the U-Haul Sustainability Program: "Serving the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."  Our commitment to reduce, reuse and recycle includes fuel-efficient moving vans, neighborhood proximity, moving box reuse, moving pads made from discarded material and packing peanuts that are 100% biodegradable.  Learn more about these facts and others at uhaul.com/sustainability.

Since 1945, U-Haul has been the choice for the do-it-yourself mover. U-Haul customers' patronage has enabled the Company to maintain the largest rental fleet in the do-it-yourself moving industry which includes trucks, trailers and towing devices. U-Haul also offers storage throughout North America. The Company provides industry leading moving and storage boxes and an extended line of packing supplies to protect customer possessions. U-Haul is the consumer's number one choice as the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket. The Company supplies alternative-fuel for vehicles and backyard grills as one of the nation's largest retailers of propane.  Learn more about how U-Haul supports our troops by visiting www.uhaul.com/vets.

Joanne Fried, Director, Media and Public Relations
Ashleigh Wagner, Senior Media and Public Relations Specialist
U-Haul International, Inc.
(602) 263-6194
[email protected]

SOURCE U-Haul