12-year-old boy needs volunteers to help honor veterans in Central Point, Eagle Point

Preston Sharp, a 12-year-old boy from Redding, Calif., is honoring veterans around the country with his 'A Flag and A Flower Challenge.'

He plans to come to the Central Point Cemetery and the Eagle Point National Cemetery to place flowers and flags in front of veterans' gravestones that don't have one.

Preston has already been to 35,000 gravemarkers for his challenge over the past two years. He has traveled from Redding to Sacramento as well as visiting cemeteries in Nevada, Florida and Virginia.

Preston was not available for a formal interview Monday morning because he had to go to school, but his mom spoke with News 10 about the challenge at length.

"He wants help in honoring the veterans with 'A Flag and A Flower' because it brings awareness to everybody in that area, in that town that we need to honor veterans every day and not just on a holiday," April Sharp said.

Preston celebrates his birthday just before Veterans Day which made him realize that veterans should be honored every day. He visited his grandfather's grave two years ago and was frustrated that not all the veterans were being honored with flags or flowers - so he decided to do both.

The challenge works as follows: identify a veteran's grave marker, plant a small American flag and a flower just above the grave, say the veteran's name first and follow that with 'Thank you for your service.'

Preston has been told saying the veteran's name before thanking them makes sure they are remembered for their service.

Preston has also been in touch with Instagram, who - he says - will pay for all the future flags and flowers to complete his mission if he gets 1 million followers on the social media site.

To follow Preston, click the embedded link below.

Make sure to use #FandFChallenge and tag Preston when you share this story!