DAR is a Wreaths Across America Corporate Sponsor

Kris Wood, National Chair, DAR Service for Veterans Committee

September 23, 2019

DAR Service for Veterans Committee has exciting news. NSDAR has officially become a Corporate Sponsor of Wreaths Across America (WAA). Our sponsorship is specifically meant to help fund the Wreaths Across America Education Trailer. What’s that, you didn’t know WAA has a Mobile Education Exhibit?

Let’s begin with an overview of what Wreaths Across America is and what they do. WAA was founded 25 years ago, quite by accident. Toward the end of the holiday season in 1992 the founders, Morrill and Karen Worcester, had a surplus of wreaths. They decided to place the wreaths in the older section of Arlington National Cemetery, a section that receives fewer visitors with each passing year.

This quiet, annual tribute went on for years, until in 2005 a photo of the stones at Arlington, adorned with wreaths and covered in snow, circulated around the internet. Suddenly, the project received national attention. Thousands of requests poured in from all over the country, from people wanting to help lay wreaths at Arlington, or to bring the Arlington project to their local cemetery.

Today WAA is a national movement that takes place every year on National Wreaths Across America Day. Daughters have been involved with WAA for a number of years. 2020 marks the first year The Chapter Master Report includes a question for noting the total number of Wreaths donated.

The WAA education trailer is ideally suited to further the goals and objectives of DAR, it seems to be a match made in heaven. WAA’s goal is to Remember, Honor, Teach. The education trailer moves the mission to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and their families and teach our children the value of freedom in local communities.

The 48 foot trailer includes a movie theater that seats twenty people for visual presentations, and inside and outside TV monitors to play videos highlighting the mission and purpose of Wreaths Across America. Interactive, touch screens allow guests to sponsor a wreath, or to search for participating cemeteries.

The education trailer is well suited for many types of events; elementary schools; veteran events; employee/customer appreciation events, community events and of course DAR events. To request to have the education trailer at your next event, just submit this request form and a WAA representative will contact you: https://www.facebook.com/WAAHQ/app/722327558181733/.

What else can you as an individual or chapter do to further the combined mission of NSDAR to Rise and Shine for America and WAA to Remember, Honor, Teach?

A few suggestions:

Sign up to lead a fundraising group, soliciting donations from friends and neighbors to donate a wreath at your local cemetery
Volunteer to place wreaths on National Wreath Day, December 14, 2019. Consult with your local cemetery for times.
Coordinate a new location for wreath placement. Instructions can be found on the WAA website.
Connect volunteer truck drivers and trucking companies with WAA. The ever growing reach of the mission poses additional trucking needs.
Download the FREE educational materials and share with children in your community.

Kimberly Lees, National Vice Chair DAR Service for Veterans – Wreaths Across America is available to answer any questions you might have regarding Wreaths Across America. [email protected]

As we Rise and Shine in Service to America may we remember all veterans and teach the youth of today that Freedom is not Free.

“To be killed in war is not the worst that can happen. To be lost is not the worst that can happen… to be forgotten is the worst.”

— Pierre Claeyssens (1909-2003)

https://wreathsacrossamerica.org

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