Participating Vermont cemeteries still need over 2,700 wreaths sponsored for our departed veterans

ESSEX JCT., VT – (November 22, 2025) – Wreaths Across America, a national 501(c)(3) whose mission is to have every veteran’s grave covered with a wreath, still has 2,718 wreaths that need to be sponsored in Vermont.  This includes 1,821 wreaths at the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Randolph, 243 at the Bennington Veterans Home Cemetery, 502 wreaths needed in St. Albans and 152 wreaths needed for Fort Ethan Allen Cemetery in Colchester.

It costs just $17 to sponsor a wreath.  You can sponsor wreaths for the remaining Vermont sites that still need sponsorship by going to:

For the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery (Randolph):  Overview – Wreaths Across America (Vermont Veteran Moms Remembering All Veterans VT0019) or Overview – Wreaths Across America (Wreaths 4 All Veterans VT0016) or go to wreathsacrossamerica.org and type in VT0019 or VT0016 in the search bar. Dan Boone is the WAA site coordinator for VVMC – 802-345-0492, dboone@vtwg.cap.gov

For St. Albans: Overview – Wreaths Across America or go to wreathsacrossamerica.org and type in Saint Albans (special note – for Saint Albans, you have to spell out “Saint”).  Melody Thibault is the WAA site coordinator – 802-393-2278, hakydalace@yahoo.com

For Fort Ethan Allen in Colchester:  Overview – Wreaths Across America or go to wreathsacrossamerica.org and type in “Fort Ethan Allen” in the search bar. Barbara Leary is the site coordinator for Fort Ethan Allen, barbaralear@gmail.com

For Bennington Veterans Home Cemetery: Overview – Wreaths Across America or go to wreathsacrossamerica.org and type in “Bennington” in the search bar.

Last year, Vermont came within 500 wreaths of having more than 10,000 veteran graves covered with a remembrance wreath. All the cemeteries met their goal except in northwestern Vermont. The goal this year is to have EVERY participating Vermont Veteran grave covered with a wreath.

Even if someone is not able to sponsor a wreath, they may post on their social media asking others to help these Vermont cemeteries before December 1^st.  And, they may still sign up to volunteer to help lay the wreaths on December 13^th at noon.  The wreath-laying includes an official ceremony, as well as laying wreaths at veteran graves and saying the veterans’ names out loud.(For St. Albans, the wreath laying is on Friday, December 12^th, at 10 am in Taylor Park).

Shaw’s Supermarket will continue, for the 3rd year, to offer hot beverages and snacks at the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Randolph for all volunteers on wreath-laying day.

The Wreaths Across America mission is to Remember the fallen and honor those you serve, while teaching the next generation the value of freedom

 “So many Vermonters have sacrificed to serve in our Armed Forces.  Sponsoring a wreath is a sign of gratitude to our veterans – both those who are living and to those who have departed”, said Susan Sweetser, the founder of the Vermont Veteran Moms group for Wreaths Across America.  “The first year after my daughter, Sgt. Virginia L. Sweetser, passed away and was buried at the Vermont Veterans Cemetery in Randolph, I participated in the Wreaths Across America event in Randolph.  I was so discouraged to see that only 250 wreaths had been sponsored for the over 4,000 [at that time – today, VVMC has 6,000 graves] graves at VVMC.  We have come a long way in four years. I am praying that this will be the year that we see all the participating veteran graves covered”, said Sweetser.  “We are only a week plus out and we still have a lot of wreaths that need to be sponsored but I know that Vermonters will come through.”

Wreaths Across America provides wreaths for Veteran graves all over the U.S., including the graves at Arlington National Cemetery.  The deadline to sponsor a wreath and have it arrive in time for national wreath-laying day is December 1, 2025.