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Date: 1/9/2019
AGAWAM – On Jan. 15, residents of Agawam and other members of the community will join to remove and properly dispose of the Wreaths Across America wreaths that were placed at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Dec. 2018.
The cleanup day helps to ensure that the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery stays beautiful. Wreaths Across America Agawam needs volunteers to help with the process. Volunteers are asked to arrive at 8 a.m. on cleanup day. Cemetery staff will provide instructions and procedures to volunteers. Volunteers are expected to remove the wreaths and put them in approved receptacles. Cemetery staff will then dispose of the wreaths. There is no registration required to volunteer. While the cleanup length of time depends on how many volunteers are present, the process typically takes up to two hours.
Wreaths Across America successfully placed wreaths at the graves of 7,500 veterans. Gina Willette, location coordinator for Wreaths Across America Agawam, explained that the mission of Wreaths Across America is “Remember, Honor, Teach. Remember our fallen US veterans. Honor those who serve. Teach children the value of freedom.” In providing a wreath for all veterans in the cemetery, Wreaths Across America Agawam has successfully met their mission.
Willette described what she believes made the wreath lying successful this year. “The success this year was due to the community coming together to sponsor wreaths. Each year, we start over with zero wreaths. Community members, families, businesses, organizations, they sponsor wreaths at $15 a piece. Without their help, we would not have wreaths to honor our veterans with,” she said.
Willette explained why participating in Wreaths Across America is personally important to her. “For our family, it is personal. My grandparents are buried in Arlington National Cemetery. We started going there yearly, to help with Wreaths Across America. But as our children were born and so young and little, it got harder for us to travel. We saw that Agawam was a participating location, but back when we started with Agawam in 2012, they only had 150 wreaths sponsored. My husband, Brian, and I made it our mission to help increase the public involvement each year, and to try to cover the entire cemetery each year with wreaths.”
For 2019, the wreath lying will take place on Dec. 14 at 10 a.m. No pre-registration is required and all are welcome.
Willette shared that she is thankful for the community and their involvement in Wreaths Across America.
“I want to say a thank you to all who helped by donating, helping to lay the wreaths, helping with cleanup, and helping to spread the word. This is truly a community project. It would not be possible without the help of the local people and businesses,” nshe said.
Willette shared the importance of donations in the process of laying wreaths at every grave.
“The number [of wreaths required] increases each year, as more veterans are interred at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam. They add about 800-1,000 each year,” she said.
Wreaths Across America relies on donations to make the annual wreath lying possible. To make a donation for the wreath lying in December, visit the Wreaths Across America Agawam Facebook page at www.facebook.com/agawamwreaths and click “Donate.” The link will direct visitors to the Wreaths Across America page for Agawam. Check donations can be made out to “Wreaths Across America” with “MA0104P/MASVCA” in the memo line. Mail to: Wreaths Across America, PO Box 249, Columbia Falls, ME 04623.