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Date: 11/30/2022
LUDLOW – Sgt. Joshua D. Desforges Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 3236 Ludlow and Capital Driver Leasing LLc will be hosting its sixth annual Wreaths Across America (WAA) ceremony on Dec. 17 at 12 p.m. at Island Pond Cemetery.
The laying of the wreaths at each Ludlow cemetery will start at 10:30 a.m. with the help of volunteers.
Ludlow recognized WAA in 2017 with the help of Brenda Shields-Dean and Heide Blackak who are members of Capital Driver Leasing., the location coordinator and fundraising group for WAA.
Shields-Dean said Blackak took pictures while volunteering at Arlington National Cemetery, “bringing back with her a feeling of pride and patriotism.”
Each December, WAA’s mission is to remember, honor and teach by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as more than 3,400 locations throughout all 50 US states and abroad.
The idea for WAA started nationally when Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company in Maine, won a trip to Washington, D.C., as a child that changed his life and Arlington National Cemetery left an impression on him.
In 1992, Worcester Wreath found themselves with a surplus of wreaths nearing the end of the holiday season.
Worcester realized he had an opportunity to honor our country’s veterans.
Arrangements were made for the wreaths to be placed at Arlington in one of the older sections of the cemetery.
This tradition would take place quietly until 2005 at which time a photo of the stones at Arlington, covered by with wreaths and covered in snow, made its way around the internet.
The project quickly received national attention and thousands of people reached out either wanting to help with Arlington or replicate the Arlington project at their National and State cemeteries.
The wreath-laying is still hosted annually and nationally on the second or third Saturday of December.
This is a tradition that Ludlow wanted to make sure to bring to its community.
Shields-Dean added, “With much help from our Veterans Affairs Agent Eric Segundo, we were able to organize Ludlow’s first wreath laying ceremony at Island Pond Cemetery in 2017.”
The goal this year was to have 950 wreaths sponsored, with one wreath on each veteran headstone in Ludlow.
They have shattered that mark, and have sponsored over 1,000 wreaths so far.
“Not only do we do Island Pond Cemetery but also so all the surrounding cemeteries in Ludlow so that every veteran is remembered and honored,” Shields-Dean said.
Shields-Dean added, “With the help of many volunteers and supporters we’ve been able to continue our efforts and extend this tribute to all of Ludlow’s fallen Veterans, laying in rest at Island Pond Cemetery and several of the oldest cemeteries throughout town.”
Even though they have reached their sponsorship goal for this year, Shields-Dean said they are still accepting donations to start raising for next year.
Shields-Dean said, “Currently we are at 100 percent of our 950-wreath goal and confident, with the communities’ help, that Ludlow can continue the tradition each year. All donations and sponsorships received will go toward the 2023 wreath laying and ceremony.”