What has become known as the country’s longest veterans’ parade – Wreaths Across America’s annual “Escort to Arlington” – kicks off on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022. The official route, which can be viewed here, will travel down the East Coast stopping at schools, memorials, and other locations along the way to spread the year-long mission to REMEMBER the fallen, HONOR those that serve and their families, and TEACH the next generation the value of freedom.
Stops with public events will be held in Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington D.C., before arriving at Arlington National Cemetery on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 17 – National Wreaths Across America Day.
The convoy itinerary:
Saturday, December 10th (Small Caravan)
5:30 AM Leave Machias River Inn
6:30 AM 8AM West Quoddy Head Lighthouse – South Lubec Rd, Lubec, ME
8:45 AM Dennysville-Edmunds Congregational Church – 15 Kent St. Dennysville, ME
11:30 AM -1pm Canadian border in Calais, ME – via Route 1
2:30 PM Wreaths Across Americas Head Quarters – 4 Point St. Columbia Falls, ME
Separately
10:00 AM Trucks start staging at Narraguagus High School – 1611 Main St, Harrington, ME
Sunday, December 11 (Full Convoy)
5:00 AM – 7:45AM Start at Narraguagus High School – 1611 Main St, Harrington, ME
9:00 AM -10:45AM Maine Coast Mall – 225 High St, Ellsworth, ME
12:45 PM – 1:30PM Hannafords – 33 Hannaford Dr. China, ME
2:35 PM – 4:30PM McMahon Elementary School – 151 N Temple St. Lewiston, ME
6PM A Parade through Portland, ME starting at Deering Oaks and proceeding down Congress Street, ending at Ocean Gateway at 6:45PM
Monday December 12
7:45 AM Trucks roll out of Ocean Gateway using Route 1
9:15 AM – 11:15 AM Biddeford Middle School – 25 Tiger Rd. Biddeford, ME
1:00 PM – 2:45 PM Eliot Elementary School – 1298 State Rd. Eliot, ME
2:45 PM the trucks leave Eliot Elementary School – 1298 State Rd. Eliot, ME
5:15 PM – 8 PM The trucks Arrive at American Legion Post located at 20 Webster St. Jaffrey, NH Local contacts: Daniel Colburn – dcolburn1992@gmail.com Tim Weston – timweston33@comcast.net
Tuesday, December 13
7:30 AM Trucks leave BJ’s Wholesale club Lot in Leominster, MA
9:25 AM Tricks arrive at New Britain High School – 110 Mill St, New Britain, CT – local contact Tom Higgins – thiggins50@comcast.net
11:30 AM Trucks Leave New Britain High School
12:30 PM Trucks Arrive at Western Connecticut State University Local contacts: John Murphy – murphyj@wcsu.edu Brian Waldron – waldron@fltdep.com Jonathan
Barney – j.barney@danbury.ct.gov
2:20 PM Trucks leave Western Connecticut State University – 43 Lake Ave Ext (Westside Campus), Danbury, CT
4:50 PM – 8 PM Trucks arrive at Passaic County Technical Institute – 45 Reinhardt Rd., Wayne, NJ – Local contact: Cathy Pagano 973-699-6270 cpagano@pcti.tec.nj.us
9:00 PM Trucks arrive at Jersey Gardens Mall parking lot for overnight parking
Wednesday, December 14
8:45 AM Leave Jersey Gardens Mall
9:30 AM – 11:30 AM Trucks at Thorne Middle School – 70 Murphy Rd, Port Monmouth, NJ – Local contact: Principal Shannon Smith 609-661-2735
smiths@middletownk12.org
12:00 PM – 2:45 PM Trucks at Vietnam Veterans Memorial – 1 Memorial Ln, Holmdel, NJ – Local contact: Mel Russen – dmrussenjr@yahoo.com 732-413-3919
4:00 PM – 6 PM Trucks at Montgomery Upper Middle School – 375 Burnt Hill Rd, Skillman, NJ – Local Contact: Principal Cory Delgado cdelgado@mtsd.us
7:00 PM Trucks arrive at Bordentown Township Senior Center – 3 Municipal Dr, Fieldsboro, NJ – Local Contact: Police Chief Brian Pesce 609-291-0791
bpesce@bordentowntownshippd.com
Thursday, December 15
7:15 AM Leave Bordentown, NJ
At 8:45 AM – 10:45 AM Trucks arrive at Delaware County Veterans’ Memorial – 4599 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA – Local contacts: Ralph Galati 610-999-
4609 rwgalati@gmail.com.
10:45 AM Trucks leave Delaware County Veterans’ Memorial, Newtown Square, PA
12:00 PM – 2pm Trucks arrive at Delaware Technical Community College – 400 Stanton Christiana Rd d201, Newark, DE – Local Contacts: General Frank Vavala –
frankvavala@gmail.com Judy Faunce 732-977-7019 jgfaunce@gmail.com Jennifer Baker (Dean of Student Af airs) – jennifer.baker@dtcc.edu Marcia Picard
(Jen’s assistant) – mpicard@dtcc.edu
2:00 PM Trucks leave Delaware Technical Community College, Newark, DE
3:15 PM – 5 PM Trucks arrive at Goldsboro Fire Department – 700 Old Line Rd, Goldsboro, MD – Local Contacts: JD Bartz – jtbartz@dpcemerency.com Jody Luckett – jodyluckett@yahoo
6:15 PM – Trucks Arrive at American Legion Post 278 Kent Island – 800 Romancoke Rd, Stevensville, MD – Local contact: Nikki Randolph – 443-298-0314 – email –
einebierbitte@yahoo.com
Friday, December 16
9:15 AM Convoy lines road in front of American Legion Post 278 Kent Island – 800 Romancoke Rd, Stevensville, MD – Local contact: Nikki Randolph – 443-298-0314 –
email – einebierbitte@yahoo.com
9:45 AM Trucks head to Branchville Fire Department, College Park, MD
9:45 AM – later POVs, M/Cs, WAA, & Cruisers Leave American Legion for private ceremonies at Capital Plaza Mall, Pentagon & War Memorials
Saturday, December 17
The trucks then head to Arlington National Cemetery for Wreaths Across America Day on December 17th.
“For me the Escort to Arlington is the culmination of another year of sharing the mission to Remember, Honor and Teach across this country. I say it every year, but it is truly an experience of a lifetime,” said Karen Worcester, Executive Director, WAA. “The way the mission and these families and veterans are welcomed into communities, with flags waving and streets lined with children and grateful Americans, is something we always wished every person could witness. This year we’re hoping that supporters will once again join us in safely lining the roadways and welcoming the escort into their communities.”
For the 8th year in a row Chevrolet, has generously provided the Wreaths Across America wrapped escort vehicles, transporting participating Gold Star families and veterans. In addition, Chevrolet has also donated 4,000 veterans’ wreaths for placement at Arlington National Cemetery to help honor our nation’s veterans.
“Chevrolet and its dealers are proud to support the work of Wreaths Across America once again and share the mission to Remember, Honor and Teach. This annual tradition has become a cornerstone event for Chevrolet and its dealers here in the Northeast Region,” said Dan Adamcheck, Regional Director of Sales, Service and Marketing for Chevrolet. “To be able to give back to our communities, and the men and women who have given so much to our country is truly an honor for Chevrolet and its employees.”
Participants for this year’s Escort to Arlington will include Gold Star Families – including the National President of American Gold Star Mothers, Inc., Sarah Whitehouse Taylor – Blue Star Families, volunteers, and veterans representing many eras and local Veteran Service Organizations such as the VFW, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, VFW Auxiliary, and the American Legion Auxiliary, and more. Members of the Patriot Guard Riders and Patriot Riders, and law enforcement from departments across Maine and other states along the route. The Wreaths Across America Mobile Education Exhibit will provide education for all participating stops throughout the week.
The Escort to Arlington has grown to consist of twelve tractor-trailers representing Schneider National, Gully Transportation, Witte Bros. Exchange, Inc., Hartt Transportation Systems, Inc., Delhaize Transportation LLC (DBA Hannaford Supermarkets), American Trucking Associations – Workforce Heroes, Pottle’s Transportation, Cargo Transporters, Inc., Boyd Grain Inc., Hampton Roads Moving & Storage, Prime Inc., and Tyson Foods, Inc. These dedicated organizations and their professional drivers will haul a portion of the sponsored veterans’ wreaths heading to Arlington National Cemetery for placement on Saturday, Dec. 17. Additionally, Load One Carriers will once again serve as the ceremonial wreath transporter for the Escort.
What began 30+ years ago as a pilgrimage by a Maine wreath maker in a single truck to deliver 5,000 wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery as a gesture of thanks has become a year-long mission to Remember, Honor, Teach. National Wreaths Across America Day ceremonies are happening at more than 3,500 participating locations across the country on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022. These events are free and open to all people. To find a participating location near you to support and/or volunteer to place wreaths, click here.
In total, nearly 257,000 sponsored wreaths are needed to reach the goal of placing a wreath on every eligible marker at Arlington National Cemetery. To sponsor a $15 veteran’s wreath for placement this year, please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/ARLING*.
You can learn more here: https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/19520/News/862/?relatedId=0
*Note, volunteers placing wreaths at Arlington will be required to preregister and show proof of registration on Wreaths Across America Day on December 17, 2022. You may also register at the above link by clicking the VOLUNTEER button on the page.
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About Wreaths Across America
Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization’s mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at more than 2,900 participating locations in all 50 states and overseas. For more information, please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, a design that makes the heartbeat, passive and active safety features, and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
