Message from Councilwoman Elizabeth Stamler | December 5, 2025
Next Saturday, the Township of Scotch Plains is privileged to once again participate in Wreaths Across America, a solemn and beautiful nationwide program dedicated to honoring the sacrifices of our veterans.
On December 13 at noon, our community will gather at the Scotch Plains Baptist Church, 333 Park Ave., to ensure that the men and women who served our country are remembered not just in spirit, but with a tangible symbol of our gratitude. However, the success of this visual tribute relies on the generosity of our residents.
Since Scotch Plains began participating in Wreaths Across America in 2016, our goal has been to ensure that every single veteran interred at the cemetery receives a remembrance wreath. We are committed to ensuring that no headstone is left bare, but we cannot do it without you.
Click Here to Sponsor a Wreath for the 2025 Ceremony.
During Saturday’s ceremony, volunteers and attendees will walk through the cemetery to place the wreaths. A crucial part of this tradition is the reading of the names. We believe that a soldier dies twice: once when they take their final breath, and later, the last time their name is spoken. To that end, each fallen hero will have their name read aloud during the ceremony before a wreath is laid at their headstone.
The Scotch Plains Baptist Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 100 veterans, with service records stretching back to the earliest days of our nation’s history in the Revolutionary War. As the Township Council’s liaison to the Veterans Advisory Board, I find that this annual tradition never fails to move me. It is a moment of quiet reflection amidst the bustle of the holiday season, reminding us of the cost of the peace we enjoy.
The roots of Wreaths Across America run deep, originating from a simple act of personal remembrance. In 1992, Morrill Worcester, owner of the Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine, found himself with a surplus of wreaths as the holiday season neared its end. Wondering how to put them to good use, he recalled a childhood trip to Arlington National Cemetery that had left an indelible mark on him.
With the help of former Maine Senator Olympia Snowe and a local trucking company, Worcester transported the surplus wreaths to Virginia. There, volunteers from the American Legion and VFW placed them on graves in an older, less-visited section of Arlington, decorating each with a traditional red, hand-tied bow.
For over a decade, this remained a quiet, relatively unknown tribute. That changed in 2005, when a photo of the wreaths—stark green and vibrant red against the white snow of Arlington—went viral online. The image struck a chord with the American public. Suddenly, thousands of people wanted to know how they could bring this tribute to their own local cemeteries.
What started with a few extra wreaths has blossomed into a massive national movement. In 2008, Congress officially designated "Wreaths Across America Day." Today, the event has grown to include more than 4,800 locations in all 50 states and beyond. You can now see these wreaths adorning hallowed sites ranging from the Pearl Harbor Memorial and Bunker Hill to Valley Forge and the sites of the September 11 tragedies.
Next Saturday, Scotch Plains is proud to be a link in this national chain of remembrance. We hope you will join us at noon to witness this moving tribute, and we invite you to support the effort by sponsoring a wreath today.
Let us work together to ensure that the sacrifices made by our local veterans are never forgotten.
