The Maine Public Safety Pipe & Drum Corps is working with Wreaths Across America to help put wreaths on the graves of our veteran’s at Arlington National Cemetery and at veterans cemeteries here in Maine.
Wreaths Across America began almost 25 years ago when Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine began a tradition of placing wreaths on the headstones of our Nation’s fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery during the holidays.
Since then, Worcester Wreath Company has donated wreaths which have been placed by volunteers in a wreath-laying ceremony each December. But as word spread, the mission to Remember, Honor, and Teach about the sacrifices made by our veterans has captured the hearts and minds of many communities across the Country and in 2007 a dedicated group of volunteers formed Wreaths Across America as a non-profit 501-(c)3 to continue and expand the mission.
In 2014, Wreaths Across America and its national network of volunteers laid over 700,000 memorial wreaths at 1,000 locations in the United States and beyond, including ceremonies at the Pearl Harbor Memorial, as well as Bunker Hill, Valley Forge and the sites of the September 11 tragedies. This was accomplished with help from 2,047 fundraising groups, corporate contributions, and donations of trucking, shipping, and thousands of helping hands. The organization’s goal of covering Arlington National Cemetery was met in 2014 with the placement of 226,525 wreaths.
TheĀ Corps is once again raising funds for the wreaths and we will be involved in the wreath convoy on Sunday, December 11, 2016 and the wreath-laying ceremonies to be held on Saturday, December 17th, 2016.
For more information on Wreaths Across America, please go to: Wreaths Across America
If you would like to donate on-line, please go to the Corps’ Wreaths Across America page. Every $15.00 donation puts a wreath on a veterans grave at either the Maine Veterans Cemetery in Augusta or at Arlington National Cemetery (the two cemeteries we support).
If you would like to donate by mail, please print a form from one of the links below and send it to the address on the form or see any Corps member.
Wreath Donation Form for Maine Veterans Cemetery (Augusta, ME)
Wreath Donation Form for Arlington National Cemetery