Board of Directors
Christmas Honors Board of Directors is comprised of active board members who believe it is important to be available to address any questions or concerns you may have as well as to receive ideas to expand and enhance the annual event. We invite you to work with us in the honoring of our service men and women this year and every year.
- Philip H. Merry, Jr. – Chairman
- Claude Legris- Vice Chairman
- Todd McCorkle – Vice Chairman
- Elly Gibbons – Treasurer
- David Ferguson - Secretary
- Chief Danny Baker
- Shawna Burgess
- Casey Collyar
- Johnny Helms
- Scott Hunter
- Lea Taylor
- Larry Todd
Are You Interested in Joining Our Board?
We welcome you to submit our nomination form. We encourage you to take your time and provide detailed responses, as your input plays a crucial role in helping us identify those individuals who we believe will make a meaningful impact to our organization.
From Our Board Members
“One of my favorite aspects of Christmas Honors is that it is a true community event. It would not happen without a thousand or more people each year. To see such a large group working together for one common mission – to honor our veterans – is beyond inspiring. It’s rare to see so many people from all backgrounds and of all ages sharing stories. It is truly heartwarming.”
“When my husband passed away it was his wish to be buried at the FSNC. He had served his country for close to 40 years and died from exposure to agent orange. That year I assisted with preparing the wreaths for the cemetery and was overwhelmed by the almost sacredness of it, knowing where they would be placed the next day. Being so impressed by the organization of it all I contacted Philip Merry, who puts his heart and soul into this, to tell my story and how much it means to survivors of service members that they are being remembered. Asked to serve on the Board of directors was truly humbling and it is an honor to be working with such a dedicated, patriotic team of amazing people.”
“We are blessed to have such a beautiful National Cemetery in our community. It is amazing to see it transformed in December each year into a truly awesome and respectful celebration of our veterans. I am so proud to be a small part of seeing this happen. I enjoy seeing the energy of all the youth, our seniors, and everyone in between that volunteer. The efforts that the community puts in, magnifies itself in a few short hours with a beautiful display of green and red.”
It is both surprising and gratifying to know that thousands in the River Valley region have now been paying special tribute to our veterans and their families with our annual Fort Smith Christmas Honors (CH) celebration for more than a dozen years.
Our family always looks forward to this annual tradition since some of our loved ones attended the first few events and are now buried at our Fort Smith National Cemetery.
We are always very deliberate to mention family members because whenever one member serves our country, ALL family members serve.
Since the inception of Christmas Honors it has always been gratifying to see the thousands of like-minded individuals of all ages who gather for the singular purpose of paying this special tribute. The Committee quickly realized that a wonderful element of Christmas Honors is that we are creating a new generation of patriots in the River Valley through our efforts and are delighted to know that this will always continue to be the case.
In fact, if you are-or if you KNOW of anyone--who has been a CH volunteer and has gone on to join our military, we would be delighted to know your story and if your involvement in Christmas Honors played a role in your decision to serve. In fact, if you can ever arrange “leave” during our activities, we would be delighted if you could join us once again.
Thank you for your service—your Christmas Honors Committee will NEVER FORGET!
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to help several non-profit organizations in my lifetime. It is important that we Pay it Forward. It is vital that we Give to Live.
To participate in and to support the Noble Cause known as Christmas Honors is a most gratifying and meaningful endeavor! It becomes part of your heart and your soul. Teamwork, magical ways, patriotism, history/education, comradery at new/higher levels, and more all make for a non- profit pursuit like no other I have ever been associated with.
If The Veterans had not done what they had done, then how could we be doing what we are now? We are SO grateful to their families for sharing them when our country’s need emerged. Many of the Veterans came home but many were not able to.
The Christmas Honors fluffing and placing of the Wreaths is a way of paying honor, tribute, and respect to The Veterans and their families who shared them. It is without question the most heart-warming and the most patriotic experience. It is vital that we always remember them noting as follows:
“A veteran’s greatest fear is not of dying but of being forgotten”.
Christmas Honors is on a mission of appreciating our American Veteran Heroes. It is a mission that will go on in perpetuity. Christmas Honors encourages all citizens to go up to Veterans when you encounter them to say, “thank you for your service, we appreciate you, and our family sleeps better at night because of you”.
“As the Chief of Police and a Christmas Honors board member, I have always been impressed with the community collaboration that takes place for this wonderful cause. Even during times of political and social unrest, people from all walks of life and all demographics come together, if even for a short time, to give a little bit of themselves to honor others. There is no "I" or "me", only "we" in everything Christmas Honors and that’s' what draws me each year to be part of the magic.”
“One of my favorite aspects of Christmas Honors is that it is a true community event. It would not happen without a thousand or more people each year. To see such a large group working together for one common mission – to honor our veterans – is beyond inspiring. It’s rare to see so many people from all backgrounds and of all ages sharing stories. It is truly heartwarming.”
“When my husband passed away it was his wish to be buried at the FSNC. He had served his country for close to 40 years and died from exposure to agent orange. That year I assisted with preparing the wreaths for the cemetery and was overwhelmed by the almost sacredness of it, knowing where they would be placed the next day. Being so impressed by the organization of it all I contacted Philip Merry, who puts his heart and soul into this, to tell my story and how much it means to survivors of service members that they are being remembered. Asked to serve on the Board of directors was truly humbling and it is an honor to be working with such a dedicated, patriotic team of amazing people.”
“We are blessed to have such a beautiful National Cemetery in our community. It is amazing to see it transformed in December each year into a truly awesome and respectful celebration of our veterans. I am so proud to be a small part of seeing this happen. I enjoy seeing the energy of all the youth, our seniors, and everyone in between that volunteer. The efforts that the community puts in, magnifies itself in a few short hours with a beautiful display of green and red.”
It is both surprising and gratifying to know that thousands in the River Valley region have now been paying special tribute to our veterans and their families with our annual Fort Smith Christmas Honors (CH) celebration for more than a dozen years.
Our family always looks forward to this annual tradition since some of our loved ones attended the first few events and are now buried at our Fort Smith National Cemetery.
We are always very deliberate to mention family members because whenever one member serves our country, ALL family members serve.
Since the inception of Christmas Honors it has always been gratifying to see the thousands of like-minded individuals of all ages who gather for the singular purpose of paying this special tribute. The Committee quickly realized that a wonderful element of Christmas Honors is that we are creating a new generation of patriots in the River Valley through our efforts and are delighted to know that this will always continue to be the case.
In fact, if you are-or if you KNOW of anyone--who has been a CH volunteer and has gone on to join our military, we would be delighted to know your story and if your involvement in Christmas Honors played a role in your decision to serve. In fact, if you can ever arrange “leave” during our activities, we would be delighted if you could join us once again.
Thank you for your service—your Christmas Honors Committee will NEVER FORGET!
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to help several non-profit organizations in my lifetime. It is important that we Pay it Forward. It is vital that we Give to Live.
To participate in and to support the Noble Cause known as Christmas Honors is a most gratifying and meaningful endeavor! It becomes part of your heart and your soul. Teamwork, magical ways, patriotism, history/education, comradery at new/higher levels, and more all make for a non- profit pursuit like no other I have ever been associated with.
If The Veterans had not done what they had done, then how could we be doing what we are now? We are SO grateful to their families for sharing them when our country’s need emerged. Many of the Veterans came home but many were not able to.
The Christmas Honors fluffing and placing of the Wreaths is a way of paying honor, tribute, and respect to The Veterans and their families who shared them. It is without question the most heart-warming and the most patriotic experience. It is vital that we always remember them noting as follows:
“A veteran’s greatest fear is not of dying but of being forgotten”.
Christmas Honors is on a mission of appreciating our American Veteran Heroes. It is a mission that will go on in perpetuity. Christmas Honors encourages all citizens to go up to Veterans when you encounter them to say, “thank you for your service, we appreciate you, and our family sleeps better at night because of you”.
“As the Chief of Police and a Christmas Honors board member, I have always been impressed with the community collaboration that takes place for this wonderful cause. Even during times of political and social unrest, people from all walks of life and all demographics come together, if even for a short time, to give a little bit of themselves to honor others. There is no "I" or "me", only "we" in everything Christmas Honors and that’s' what draws me each year to be part of the magic.”