2024 National Wreaths Across America Day at Winchester National Cemetery

WINCHESTER, Va. (Nov 11, 2024) – Civil Air Patrol’s Winchester Composite Squadron is leading the National Wreaths Across America (WAA) Day again this year at the Winchester National Cemetery on December 14. Anyone interested in participating in this free community event is invited to arrive at 11:00 am to lay wreaths. A ceremony will begin at 12:00 noon to honor those who gave their lives in service for our country. Any remaining wreaths will be laid after the ceremony.

Wreaths Across America started as a simple gesture of thanks that has grown into a national, yearlong movement of dedicated volunteers and communities coming together to not only remember the nation’s fallen and honor their service, but to teach the next generation about the value of freedom. This year, there will be more than 4,500 participating locations placing veterans’ wreaths on National Wreaths Across America Day – Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024 – with more than three million volunteers coming together.

The goal for Winchester National Cemetery is to raise enough funds to place 5,561 sponsored veterans’ wreaths on the headstones of all the local heroes laid to rest there, to ensure that the individuals who served to protect the freedoms of our country never be forgotten and to bring the community together in patriotic commemoration.

“We are forever grateful for the thousands of supporters who dedicate their time, energy and resources to fulfilling our mission all year long,” said Karen Worcester, executive director, Wreaths Across America. “These individuals and their communities know the value of remembering the fallen, honoring those who currently serve and teaching the next generation about the sacrifices made for our freedom every day, and because of their continued support, Wreaths Across America continues to grow and touch new people each year.”

Over 1,700 (and counting) wreaths will arrive to be laid in Winchester and over 300 community members have already volunteered for this memorial event.

Those interested in volunteering for Wreaths Across America or sponsoring a wreath, are invited to visit https://wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/17262/Overview to learn more, there are seven sponsorship groups supporting this effort. National Wreaths Across America Day is a free community event open to all people.

About Wreaths Across America
Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization’s yearlong mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at thousands of veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond.
 
All Wreaths Across America Day events are, non-political/religious events, open to all people. For more information, to donate or to sign up to volunteer, please visit https://wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/17262/Overview
 
About Virginia Wing
Civil Air Patrol's Virginia Wing is home to 21 squadrons spread throughout the Commonwealth and has approximately 2,250 members, 13 light aircraft, 6 small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), and 28 multi-mission vehicles. These assets are available to federal, state, and local governments, as well as to emergency responders and law enforcement agencies to perform search and rescue, homeland security, disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, and counter-drug missions. For more information on Virginia Wing, visit the wing’s website at https://vawg.cap.gov.
 
About Civil Air Patrol
Founded in 1941 and established as the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force seven years later, Civil Air Patrol is chartered by Congress as a nonprofit organization for the purposes of youth development, aerospace education, and to promote general aviation. In an auxiliary role as a Total Force partner of the Air Force, CAP operates the world’s largest fleet of single-engine aircraft for search and rescue, disaster relief, training, and education. Civil Air Patrol is dedicated to serving America’s communities, saving lives, and shaping futures.
 
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