American Heritage Girls Troop MA 3712 participate in the first Wreaths Across America National Remembrance Ceremony

American Heritage Girls Troop MA 3712 was honored to participate this year in the first Wreaths Across America National Remembrance Ceremony in Somerset, Mass on December 16th. The girls sold wreaths as a fundraiser this fall (and will sell them again in the spring). The girls helped lay 600 wreaths!

Kathleen Roy Gunning organized this year’s wreath laying at four cemeteries in Somerset after participating at Arlington National Cemetery last year. The event was certainly a huge success!

The tradition of laying wreaths on the graves of veterans was started in 1992 by Morrill Worcester of Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine. When he had 5000 wreaths left over nearing the end of the holiday season he remembered a trip to Arlington as a young child and sent the wreaths to the oldest section of Arlington with the help of volunteers. He didn’t want those who had given so much for our freedoms to be forgotten. He continues to send wreaths every year. In 2007 the picture of the wreaths in the snow went viral and the nonprofit Wreaths Across America was born.

Across the country, this year at 1,422 locations 1,570,000 wreaths were laid! The mission of the group is simple: Remember, Honor, Teach.