Some Ft. Snelling graves will be without wreaths this holiday season due to shortage
MINNEAPOLIS — Wreaths Across America Day is Saturday, and volunteers typically place a wreath on every grave at national cemeteries to honor their service. But this year, some gravesites at Fort Snelling will be without a wreath this holiday season due to a wreath shortage.
There are more than 290,000 gravesites at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery. It is the largest national cemetery in the country outside of Arlington National Cemetery.
Volunteers with Wreaths Across America are facing a shortage of wreaths, which means not every fallen service member's grave will get one.
So far the organization has raised enough money to cover more than 15,000 gravesites. Members of the Patriot Guard unloaded one of four trucks full of wreaths expected at Ft. Snelling Friday.
Just six weeks ago there was no coordinator for Minnesota to make sure funds were raised and volunteers gathered for Wreaths Across America. The People's Patriot Project stepped up and took over. They started with only 1,700 wreaths and now have more than 15,000.
They hope people reach out to help to make sure next year every gravesite can get a wreath.
Some families have wreaths marking their loved ones' final resting place. Volunteers will begin Saturday placing the wreaths they have on those without one.
Wreaths Across America hopes people go to their website and make the $17 donation it takes to make sure our fallen heroes are remembered.
