Wreaths Across America returns to Logan
Coming this December is Wreaths Across America, a nonprofit whose goal is to provide Christmas wreaths to veteran graves, complete with a short ceremony. This program will be done mostly by the Utah State University cadets for the Civil Air Patrol, or CAP.
Wreaths Across America was held in Logan last year, and there are currently plans to have it occur again this year.
The Wreaths Across America organization was started in 1992 in Maine, and it provides wreaths for military graves. A ceremony will be held simultaneously across the country, in which the wreaths are presented and laid out for those graves. The ceremony will be held Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. at the Logan City Cemetery.
The CAP is the civilian auxiliary arm of the United States Air Force, with the primary missions of emergency services, cadet programs for the Air Force and providing aerospace education. For example, when a plane crashes, the CAP is called in to find the wreckage and rescue people.
The CAP cadets at Utah State help the Wreaths Across America organization in Logan, and the commanders for the program here, Maj. Brent Baum and Col. Inken Christensen, are the main organizers for both the program and the ceremony here in Logan.
Baum said he believes the program will be beneficial to both the cadets as well as the broader community.
“These young people are leaders. They’re knowledgeable,” Baum said. “Wreaths Across America contributes to that because it ties the past with the present. Past leaders, past veterans. Past patriots with the new patriots that we’re developing in Civil Air Patrol.”
Baum said Wreaths Across America can also benefit the community.
“Community members are looking for ways to connect to veterans,” Baum said. “And support those families who have lost loved ones. And this is definitely a direct connection between the family and the veteran.”
At the moment, there are 75 wreaths. However, Christensen believes there are an estimated 1,400 veteran graves in the Logan cemetery. That means at least an additional 1,325 more wreaths are needed.
Wreaths are gained through donations. One can donate either to the national organization, or to a local chapter for wreaths specifically within local area. Individuals or groups can sponsor a wreath, and they are allowed to be the ones to place the wreath at the ceremony.
Sponsoring a wreath doesn’t necessarily have to apply to the current year, as Wreaths Across America will continue to take on sponsorships even after the ceremonies have occurred to help prepare for future years.
“Everybody is asking the community to participate and donate, and I think wreaths is one of the easier ways to participate,” Baum said.
“You can sponsor a wreath here but then you can pair it for one that comes to either your home or somebody that you love,” said Stephanie Bagnelli, another volunteer for both the CAP and Wreaths Across America. “They can then place the wreath, or they can hang the wreath that honors the veteran.”
Sponsoring isn’t the only way to show support.
“We always love volunteers … if they want to go out and try to find sponsorships,” Bagnelli said. “We would happily accept anyone that’s willing to volunteer and help.”
According to Christensen, even simply showing up to the ceremony is both a good and easy way to support the cause. Baum agrees.
“Even if you don’t sponsor a wreath, you can still participate,” Baum said.
There is also hope that through this year’s Wreaths Across America, the event will expand in future years.
“We would love to see it grow to the point that we’re not just doing Logan cemetery, but the other cemeteries in the valley,” Bagnelli said.
The Utah State CAP has pass-along cards that can be used to help access the website to sponsor a wreath. To sponsor a wreath, contact the Utah State CAP or visit wreathsacrossamerica.org