Maine's Capital Area

On Saturday, December 17, a group of Gardiner citizens will be placing remembrance wreaths on veterans' graves in Gardiner cemeteries. This project is in conjunction with the national Wreaths Across America program which was started by Worcester Wreath Company in Columbia Falls, Maine in 1992 with five thousand wreaths placed in a section of the Arlington National Cemetery. This program has expanded to cover every grave stone at Arlington, over 240,000, and in over 1,100 locations across the country including twenty-four foreign countries.

In 2015, a total of 901,000 were placed to remember and honor American Veterans with the hope that this year of placing one million wreaths in even more locations. Last year, approximately two hundred and thirty wreaths were placed on veterans' stones in the Gardiner area cemeteries.There are, at present, over six hundred and fifty veterans resting in local Gardiner and surrounding community cemeteries. With the support of local businesses, organizations, and individuals we hope to further expand our efforts this year to honor even more of our veterans.

You are invited to join with us on December 17th to help the placing of remembrance wreaths at the Oak Grove and St. Joseph's Cemeteries. A brief program, starting at 10:30am will be held at the center of the cemetery with the placing of wreaths to commence shortly after.

For further information regarding Gardiner local efforts, please call Jim Keenan at (207) 582-6530.