What's Your Why? Volunteer spotlight on Toni Lucas


Toni Lucas is a community builder extraordinaire using her passion for the Wreaths Across America mission to honor veterans from Kentucky to Illinois. You see, when she moves, Toni packs up her belongings, of course, but she also takes Wreaths Across America with her. “I got started in 2007 after seeing an article with that beautiful picture of all the wreaths at Arlington, and I thought, wow, isn’t that nice. I wondered if I could do that, but I thought I was just John Q. citizen. I contacted Wreaths Across America, and they said, ‘Sure you can do this!’ Then, I thought I was still John Q. citizen, and I didn’t think I could do this by myself. I was in Kentucky then, and I went to my Elks Lodge, and they helped. Then, I moved to LaSalle, Illinois, which has a veteran’s home, and I thought obviously they have Wreaths Across America there, and I can just plug into it, but there wasn’t, so of course, I had to fix that! Then, when I moved to Albany, Illinois, I took it to the Lions Club. I’ve also got my Rotary Club involved, and we’re participating in Port Byron too.”

Toni says the mission is important to her because most of the men in her life served or wanted to. “My grandfather was in the Calvary; my first husband was in Vietnam, my second husband was in Korea, and I had a Father-in-Law I never knew in the British Army who was a prisoner of war in Japan for seven years. My son also served two years in the Army.” Toni goes on to explain another unique perspective she saw growing up that drives her passion for supporting veterans. “My father wanted to serve. When he went to enlist in the Army, he had a cyst on the back of his head, and they wouldn't take him because he couldn’t wear a helmet, so he was denied. He never talked about it much, but I know he took a lot of flak because he was an able-bodied man of Army age during the war who’ stayed safe’ at home.”

You would think it would be intimidating having to move and establish a new Wreaths Across America wreath-laying ceremony in a new state, but not for Toni, who says it’s easy! What’s her secret? She has three. The first; “If you want something done, ask a veteran. They don’t discuss it or make excuses or put it off; they just get it done. I don’t get that from anyone except my veterans.” The profound impact the experience has on people is the second secret “You only have to get someone there once, and they’ll be back,” Toni enthused. “I did that with a local reporter, and the next year she showed up without even being asked.” The third thing Toni has going in her favor is her desire to serve, and after a professional career as a legal secretary, she decided to embark on a new occupation in her seventies and now serves as the Pastor for the Albany United Methodist Church. Toni has connections and is not stopping with just the Wreaths Across America wreath ceremonies and honoring those who served. Toni hopes to spread the Wreaths Across America Teach initiative with her local schools as well.

Toni’s efforts include the Lusk Memorial Cemetery and Pleasant Point Cemetery

And she credits their success as well to her co-location coordinator Sue Hebel. Thank you, Toni Lucas and Sue Hebel, for finding so many ways to serve! You can hear more from Toni’s interview in our What’s Your Why feature on Wreaths Across America Radio.