National Wreaths Across America Day Honors Riverside Veterans With Holiday Wreaths: Still Time To Donate

PERRIS, CA — There's still time to sponsor a wreath for placement at the Riverside National Cemetery this week, according to Wreath Out America, which sponsors the program. They are seeking supporters during the 2025 holiday season.

On Saturday, Wreath Civil Air Patrol cadets, joined by current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, volunteers from nonprofit organizations, and families throughout Riverside County, will fan out across Riverside National Cemetery and place Christmas wreaths at graves in an annual salute to the fallen.

The cemetery walk will coincide with nearly 5,700 similar wreath deployments nationwide in recognition of "National Wreaths Across America Day," in which the Civil Air Patrol, also known as the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, takes a leading role. This year's theme is "Keep Moving Forward."

To donate a wreath is simple. Visit the Wreaths Across America website and click to support a veteran at Riverside National Cemetery. Through donating one or many wreaths, supporters can honor the legacy of American heroes who lost their lives fighting for freedom. In Riverside County, sponsorships will credit CAP Squadron 45, based at March Air Reserve Base and composed of cadets ages 12 to 19. This group has spearheaded the Wreaths Across America campaign at Riverside National Cemetery for more than a decade.

"National Wreaths Across America Day is an event held every December in which millions of volunteers unite to place sponsored veterans' wreaths at the final resting place of millions of service members in thousands of participating locations across the U.S. and abroad," according to the nonprofit Wreaths Across America. "These wreaths are delivered through the generosity of hundreds of volunteer truck drivers and their companies and are sponsored by individuals and businesses."

The laying of wreaths began informally in 1992, when the owners of the Harrington, Maine-based Worcester Wreath Co. wanted to do something positive with their surplus holiday wreaths, offering them to Arlington National Cemetery for graveside placement.

The gesture became a tradition, eventually spreading to multiple states, where members of American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts placed wreaths.

In 2006, the ceremonies were formalized and scheduled for specific days in December, according to www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.

"Our mission to 'Remember, Honor and Teach' is carried out throughout the year," the organization said. "Wreaths Across America's mission touches the lives of thousands of school, scout, civic and religious groups across the country."

CAP officials said some of the wreaths are sponsored, often by relatives of individuals laid to rest at Riverside National Cemetery, and that those garlands are placed in specific plots. Otherwise, volunteers try to canvass different sections of the cemetery, where wreaths are arranged in orderly rows.

With nearly 250,000 graves at the cemetery, it is not possible at this time to place a wreath on every gravesite. Small, compact flags placed on all of the veterans' graves during Flag Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day are reusable and typically are placed each holiday by volunteers. This year's flag placement was not done on Veterans' Day due to the lack of resources from the Government shutdown.

Squadron 45 and other nonprofit entities seek donations year-round to support the WAA cause.

Before the wreath deployment begins on Saturday, there will be a formal ceremony at the cemetery Amphitheater highlighting the meaning of the occasion.

More information is available at https://ca007.cap.gov