Wreaths Across America 2022

For our sixth consecutive year, two Heritage drivers ventured off their normal routes to make a special pickup in Columbia Falls, Maine. In lieu of their normal cargo, drivers Trevor Wood and Richard Coffey volunteered to transport thousands of wreaths to be laid on veterans’ graves across the country for Wreaths Across America.

Since 1992, Wreaths Across America has had the goal of remembering and honoring veterans and teaching future generations the value of freedom through fundraising and education efforts that culminate annually on what is now National Wreaths Across America Day (the third Saturday in December). Thousands of people gather at national cemeteries across the US to unload and lay wreaths on the graves of those who have served our country.

“I’ve had family members and friends who are veterans, I’ll do anything to honor our veterans past, present, and future. I love it, I think it’s an awesome thing to do, especially since our founder was a veteran himself” said Richard Coffey, who’s participating for the seventh year in a row, his fourth transporting the wreaths. ”This is very emotional for me, because my husband is a veteran, too, and we’ve lost family members [in the service],” said Teresa Wade, Asset Management Coordinator at Arcwood Environmental™ Services. Teresa, along with Sustainability director Joanne Jones, lead the fundraising and coordination efforts for Wreaths Across America at Heritage each year.

This year, Heritage raised $8,300 and purchased over 800 wreaths. Dozens of Heritage family members showed up at four national cemeteries in Chicago, IL, Coolidge, AZ, Toledo, OH, and Indianapolis, IN to help unpack and lay the wreaths.

If you’re interested in learning more about Wreaths Across America, visit their pages at https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/our-story and check out our wrapup video on social media!