I have set my sponsorship goal to 7,777 wreaths. This isn't just any number, this is the exact number of days my son Bryce Kenneth Powers lived on this Earth. Please help me honor him and all of the men and women who sacrificed their lives for our freedoms!
Results
2024 So Far
0 Wreaths so Far
REMEMBER the Fallen. . . HONOR those who Serve. . . TEACH our children the value of Freedom.
Welcome to the VA0627 - Running Fir Wreaths - 2's Wreaths Across America Page.
Gold Star Mother Cathy Powers is "Running Fir Wreaths" in 2019. Her goal is to run a total of 1,000 miles (with a portion in every state) in honor of her son, Senior Airman Bryce Kenneth Powers, U.S. Air Force. She'll do this while raising funds to sponsor veterans' wreaths to be placed at Arlington National Cemetery next December as part of Wreaths Across America.
Bryce passed away on April 26, 2013, 6.5 months after a motor vehicle accident in Japan placed him in a coma. He is now buried in Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery, where Powers was first introduced to the Wreaths Across America program. After the death of her son, Powers struggled with grief and her own health and happiness. She turned to food, her lifelong drug of choice, overeating in an attempt to numb her pain. She gained weight, (reaching nearly 300 lbs.) and lost hope of ever having a good, healthy life again. She had concluded, "It was too late to change and it didn't even matter anyway."
During these dark years, Powers went to Arlington and found a beautiful live balsam fir wreath on her son's grave, along with thousands more covering each of the headstones at the cemetery. It made an impact on her. In time, her heart began to heal and her hope returned. In December of 2016, Powers traveled in the Wreaths Across America escort from Maine to Arlington, and has done so for the last three years. She stated, "I learned so much from the mission of Wreaths Across America. This is not about decorating graves, it is about honoring and remembering their lives, and my son's life … being part of the escort makes me feel like I'm alive."
And that feeling has continued to grow. Today, Powers is 140lbs lighter, runs regularly and not only lives for herself, but for her son. "One day I woke up and came to the realization that I am not being true to myself - I am still alive and he isn't here. I realized I needed to live for Bryce and for me," said Powers. "When I run, I think of my son and all the things I need to be thankful for. I want everyone to know it is never too late to be the best you."
On December 14, 2024 at 12:00 pm (Wreath Placement Beginning at 8:00 AM), VA0627 - Running Fir Wreaths - 2 will be helping Arlington National Cemetery to Remember and Honor our veterans by laying Remembrance wreaths on the graves of our country's fallen heroes.
Please help us honor and remember as many fallen heroes as possible by sponsoring remembrance wreaths, volunteering on Wreaths Day, or inviting your family and friends to attend with you.
Thank you so much for supporting the VA0627 - Running Fir Wreaths - 2 and Wreaths Across America!
Sponsor Wreaths
Click "Sponsor Wreaths" to sponsor a wreath and help us reach our goal of honoring every veteran at the cemetery.
Volunteer
Click here if you would like to participate in the wreath laying ceremony on Wreaths Day at the cemetery.
Invite
Click here to spread the word encourage your friends to sponsor, volunteer or keep up with our news.
Wreaths Across America Expands FREE TEACH Program to Include Black History Month Curriculum for Educators
FREE Access to an expanded patriotic, educational curriculum and resources for service-based learning
American Unity on Display on Wreaths Across America Day
National Wreaths Across America Day Sees the Placement of Three Million Sponsored
Veterans’ Wreaths at over 4,225 Participating Locations Across the Country
375 recent news items exist. Click "View All News" to see them all.
December 14, 2024 at 12:00 pm (Wreath Placement Beginning at 8:00 AM)
Annie Brooks, Dan Mead, Wayne Hanson, Amber Caron
Directions to Cemetery
Cemetery Access Points
• We encourage volunteers to use all four of our entrances to access Arlington National Cemetery on December 16. The main Memorial Avenue entrance, Ord & Weitzel Gate, Service Complex Gate and Old Post Chapel Gates will all open to the public at 8 a.m. Old Post Chapel Gate is accessible to Department of Defense ID cardholders only.
• ANC's main entrance is located at the end of Memorial Avenue, just west of Arlington Memorial Bridge and Potomac Park. It is a 5-minute walk from the Arlington Cemetery Metro stop.
• Ord & Weitzel Gate is located on the north side of the cemetery near the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial (Iwo Jima). It is a 15-minute walk from the Rosslyn Metro stop; walk south on N. Meade St., across Arlington Blvd., and through the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial Park.
Parking Instructions
To register click the VOLUNTEER button.
Arlington National Cemetery will not require registration of each volunteer for National Wreaths Across America Day in 2023.
PARKING INSTRUCTIONS
Metro
• We encourage volunteers to use Metro transportation. To avoid congestion at the Arlington National Cemetery stop, we recommend exiting via the Rosslyn or Pentagon stations and walking to the cemetery. From these locations, it is a short 15-minute walk to one of the cemetery entrances.
• If exiting at Rosslyn, you must enter the cemetery via the Ord & Weitzel Gate by walking along the North Meade Street sidewalks. If exiting at the Pentagon, you must enter through the cemetery’s Service Complex Gate entrance by walking along North Rotary Road.
• Metro will have free shuttles running from the Rosslyn station to the Ord & Weitzel Gate and from Pentagon North Parking to the service entrance.
• Volunteers traveling to the event by Metro are encouraged to purchase fare ahead of time. The best option, to avoid lines, is SmarTrip mobile pay.
• Please refer to WMATA for metro service information and route planning.
Driving/Parking
• To ensure a safe and secure environment for our visitors and employees, there will be NO vehicular traffic permitted inside the cemetery for the duration of the event on December 16.
• Limited general public parking will be available at the Pentagon North and South parking lots. Wreaths Across America volunteers and signage will be positioned in the parking lots guiding visitors to walk to the nearest cemetery entrances.
• WAA will provide bus transportation from Pentagon North to drop-off locations east of the Service Complex Gate.
• For those parking in the Pentagon South lot, we recommend walking to the cemetery’s Service Complex entrance for screening and entry to the grounds. For those parking in the Pentagon North lot, we recommend walking to the cemetery’s main entrance on Memorial Avenue by using the Route 27 pedestrian walkway.
ADA Accessibility
• The ANC Welcome Center parking garage will be available for handicapped volunteers only from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. After 7 a.m., drivers will be directed to other parking options. No more vehicles will be allowed to park in the parking garage.
• Those with handicapped plates/placards will need to go to the Pentagon North parking lot, where their pass will be verified. They will then be directed to the ANC Welcome Center parking garage ?.
• If the ANC parking garage is full, ADA-accessible volunteers should park in either the Pentagon North parking Lot or the Pentagon South parking lot. There will be WAA shuttles from Pentagon North Parking Lot to the Service Complex Gate entrance area. If you choose to follow this option, please register for the volunteer entry at the Service Complex.
BUSES
There will be no bus parking available at ANC or Pentagon Parking. Volunteers arriving by bus will need to be dropped off at a predetermined access point and park off-site.
Ride Share
For those volunteers who plan to arrive via a ride share (i.e., Uber, Lyft), the drop-off location is the Hayes lot in Pentagon City (1100 Hayes Street). From this point, volunteers will need to walk to the cemetery’s Service Complex Gate entrance.
Ceremony and Volunteer Information
To register click the VOLUNTEER button.
Arlington National Cemetery will not require registration of each volunteer for National Wreaths Across America Day in 2023.
REMINDER: Sunday, Dec. 10th is Family Pass Holder Day at Arlington. This is limited to Family Pass Holders only. NO registration is required for Family Pass Holder Day.
Arlington National Cemetery is the only participating cemetery where a Family Pass Holder Day is held in conjunction with WAA.
Family Pass Holders are people who have an immediate next of kin laid to rest at Arlington. If you have questions about criteria or how to become a FPH, please contact Arlington National Cemetery directly.
Several people have asked if other National Cemeteries offer Family Passes or a Family Pass Holder Day. Arlington National Cemetery is not part of the National Cemetery Administration, it is run by the Department of the Army. It is the only WAA participating cemetery where this week before placement happens.
For more information, please visit https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/WAA/Family-Pass-Holder-Day.
DoD ID Cardholders
• Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall will be accessible to DoD ID cardholders only. However, parking will be limited to the Tri Services parking lot located across from the Spates Community Center and Henderson Hall.
• This year, all other entrances to the cemetery (Memorial Avenue, Ord & Weitzel Gate and Service Complex Gate) will have designated DoD ID card holder lanes for security screening.
Lodging Information
Discounted lodging information for volunteers can be found by contacting Vivian Cohencious at PlaceMakr at vcohencious@placemakr.com.
Our Locations
ARLING - Arlington National Cemetery
Welcome to the Wreaths Across America location page for Arlington National Cemetery. As one of the largest veteran cemeteries in the United States, the goal of placing a wreath on every marker is lofty. Our volunteers are committed to Remembering and Honoring our nation’s veterans through the laying of wreaths on the graves of our country’s fallen heroes and the act of saying the name of each veteran aloud. Please help Wreaths Across America reach our goal by sponsoring a veteran's wreath and register to join us on December 14, 2024 at 12:00 pm (Wreath Placement Beginning at 8:00 AM) as we place the veterans' wreaths.
Sponsorship Group Not Participating
Thank you for visiting Wreaths Across America's VA0627 - Running Fir Wreaths - 2 page! This year, the Group Leader has not yet decided to participate. However, you can still support our mission to Remember, Honor, and Teach by clicking one of the sponsorship options below.
Thank you so much for contacting us! Our team will respond within 24 hours.
Invite
Thank you for your interest in volunteering. However, this cemetery/group is not yet active for this year. To find another participating cemetery near you, click Search Cemeteries.
Share
Invite email sent.
Also, one of the most powerful ways that you can help is to share that you've volunteered to help on Wreaths Across America Day on social media. Please click on the social media links of your choice below.
Registration Complete
Your registration information was successfully submitted. To help us recruit more volunteers, please click one of the buttons below to share information on volunteering on social media.
Loading...
Wreath Sponsorship
Running Fir Wreaths - 2 (VA0627) |159457|
Did you know that Wreaths Across America now offers recurring sponsorships? You can select the occurrence and cancel or pause anytime! Register now by completing this form! (https://tinyurl.com/n735zrbr)
What does it mean to sponsor a wreath? It means you are supporting a yearlong mission to Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve, and Teach the next generation the value of freedom. Your sponsorship will support the new and existing programs developed to share the mission. And, it will place a wreath to honor an American hero at one of more than 3,700 participating locations this year on National Wreaths Across America Day – a day set aside to lay gathers as Americans with the same goal.
We can’t do that without your support, though. Your sponsorship will ensure a hand-crafted wreath of all-American balsam and hand-tied with a red velvet bow here in Columbia Falls, Maine. It will then be sent to one of our participating locations, where a volunteer will place it on the marker of a hero. That volunteer will then “say their name” to ensure that the legacy of duty, service, and sacrifice is never forgotten.
So, what does it mean to sponsor a wreath? It means you have the opportunity to join a grateful nation in saying “thank you” to those who stepped up to serve.
*Please Note: Specific locations designated as "ceremonial-only" accept a limited number of sponsorships. Any additional sponsorships received beyond those used for the ceremony will be distributed to other locations.
Wreaths Across America, Columbia Falls, ME 04623, United States (NAGVRW) |19520|
Did you know that Wreaths Across America now offers recurring sponsorships? You can select the occurrence and cancel or pause anytime! Register now by completing this form! (https://tinyurl.com/n735zrbr)
What does it mean to sponsor a wreath? It means you are supporting a yearlong mission to Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve, and Teach the next generation the value of freedom. Your sponsorship will support the new and existing programs developed to share the mission. And, it will place a wreath to honor an American hero at one of more than 3,700 participating locations this year on National Wreaths Across America Day – a day set aside to lay gathers as Americans with the same goal.
We can’t do that without your support, though. Your sponsorship will ensure a hand-crafted wreath of all-American balsam and hand-tied with a red velvet bow here in Columbia Falls, Maine. It will then be sent to one of our participating locations, where a volunteer will place it on the marker of a hero. That volunteer will then “say their name” to ensure that the legacy of duty, service, and sacrifice is never forgotten.
So, what does it mean to sponsor a wreath? It means you have the opportunity to join a grateful nation in saying “thank you” to those who stepped up to serve.
*Please Note: Specific locations designated as "ceremonial-only" accept a limited number of sponsorships. Any additional sponsorships received beyond those used for the ceremony will be distributed to other locations.
Wreaths Across America, Columbia Falls, ME 04623, United States (NAGVRW) |19520|
Did you know that Wreaths Across America now offers recurring sponsorships? You can select the occurrence and cancel or pause anytime! Register now by completing this form! (https://tinyurl.com/n735zrbr)
What does it mean to sponsor a wreath? It means you are supporting a yearlong mission to Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve, and Teach the next generation the value of freedom. Your sponsorship will support the new and existing programs developed to share the mission. And, it will place a wreath to honor an American hero at one of more than 3,700 participating locations this year on National Wreaths Across America Day – a day set aside to lay gathers as Americans with the same goal.
We can’t do that without your support, though. Your sponsorship will ensure a hand-crafted wreath of all-American balsam and hand-tied with a red velvet bow here in Columbia Falls, Maine. It will then be sent to one of our participating locations, where a volunteer will place it on the marker of a hero. That volunteer will then “say their name” to ensure that the legacy of duty, service, and sacrifice is never forgotten.
So, what does it mean to sponsor a wreath? It means you have the opportunity to join a grateful nation in saying “thank you” to those who stepped up to serve.
*Please Note: Specific locations designated as "ceremonial-only" accept a limited number of sponsorships. Any additional sponsorships received beyond those used for the ceremony will be distributed to other locations.