Volunteers Sought For Wreath Cleanup At Abraham Lincoln Cemetery

ELWOOD, IL — Volunteers are needed to help with wreath cleanup at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery on Saturday, Jan. 18, an effort to remove holiday wreaths placed at grave sites to honor fallen veterans through Wreaths Across America.

This year, 26,000 wreaths were placed, a drop from last year's 38,000, said Dave Kestel, who helps organize the transport and placement.

The wreaths were laid during a ceremony in December, and Kestel wishes they could remain just a bit longer.

"It's beautiful," he said. "I wish they'd leave them out there 'til mid-February. It just seems a shame to take them up this early."

Kestel is a coordinator in receiving the wreaths when they are brought in from Maine. Each wreath sponsored for a donation of $17, Kestel then helps organize pickup and eventual transport by local farmers towing in their own trucks and livestock trailers. It's a poignant effort not many people see, he said.

With more than 20,000 wreaths to be picked up, Kestel said many hands make for swift work.

"It really gets cleaned up pretty fast," he said. Based on past years' efforts, he anticipates the cleanup will be completed by noon.

Registration is not required for the cleanup, which begins at 8 a.m. at the cemetery, 20953 W Hoff Rd. Volunteers should dress for the weather.

Participants are encouraged to bring a tarp, long pole, broom handle, or sled to stack wreaths and bring to the roadside. Pickup truck drivers are then needed to remove the wreaths from the roadside, organizers said.

Students or groups such as schools, Scout troops, 4H and other organizations who need service hours are encouraged to volunteer. The work is eligible for service hour designation, as Wreaths Across American is a 501c3.

"We welcome any group with open arms," Kestel said.

Anyone with questions is encouraged to call or text (708)712-2795.

Kestel hopes that next year they'll see an increase in wreaths. You can track the number of wreaths sponsored to date on the Wreaths Across America website.

"We’re all just hoping we’ll have a huge surge of wreaths next year," he said.