Arlington National Cemetery Needs Donations and Volunteers for Its Annual Wreath Laying

For more than a quarter of a century, wreaths have been used to mark the holiday season at Virginia's Arlington National Cemetery. The 2018 wreath laying ceremony will take place on Saturday, December 15, and WTOP reports that the nonprofit organization Wreaths Across America is still looking for donations and volunteers ahead of this year's event.

Holiday wreaths were first laid on the graves of U.S. veterans at Arlington in 1992. That year, the owner of a wreath company in Maine realized he would have a surplus of wreaths for the holidays and wanted to donate them to a worthy cause. Working with Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, he had the decorations sent to Washington, D.C. and placed in front of Arlington graves that had seen fewer visitors in recent years.

Today, wreaths are assigned to graves throughout the cemetery. Arlington has the second highest number of occupants of any U.S. national cemetery, and more veterans are laid to rest there each year. In 2018, Wreaths Across America will be placing 253,000 wreaths, one for each marker and columbarium column.

In order to reach their goal, the organization is calling on donors to help fund the effort. Wreaths are available to sponsor through Wreaths Across America's website for $15, and 25,000 more sponsorships are needed to provide wreaths for every grave site. The group is also looking for volunteers for the actual wreath laying. The ceremony begins at 8 a.m. on December 15, and volunteers aren't required to sign up before lending a hand.