For ten consecutive years, Covenant has supported non-profit Wreaths Across America by providing the transportation of thousands of wreaths to U.S. National Cemeteries. Once delivered, Covenant team members volunteer their time each year to place the wreaths on the headstones of veterans laid to rest.

This year, Covenant is proud to have provided three teams to deliver full truckloads of more than 4,900 wreaths from the Worcester Wreath Company, in Maine, to U.S. National Cemeteries in Chattanooga, Tenn.; Nicholasville and Harrodsburg, Ky.; and Washington DC.

Covenant’s 2022 trucking teams include female veterans Paula Tracey and Theresa Hill, delivering to Chattanooga National Cemetery; Johnny Ellis Jr. and Alex Carter, delivering to Arlington National Cemetery (in Washington DC); and Cary Stanley and Chris Beckett, delivering to Camp Nelson National Cemetery (in Nicholasville) and Lebanon National Cemetery (in Harrodsburg).

Additionally, company team members volunteered at the Chattanooga National Cemetery on Saturday, December 17, 2022, at noon, to place the delivered wreaths.

At the time of publishing, Wreaths Across America reports that they have secured 171,891 sponsored wreaths for Arlington National Cemetery; 25,770 for Chattanooga National Cemetery; 9,780 for Camp Nelson National Cemetery; and 389 for Lebanon National Cemetery.

“What is sacrifice? Volunteering to lay down your life for someone else, if needed, is something only a few of us understand. Our veterans do. They choose to serve, leave their families for extended periods, and train for things many people wouldn’t do to protect our freedoms in this great country,” said Covenant’s President Joey Hogan. “10 years ago, we decided to support the Wreaths Across America program to honor our veterans’ sacrifice. Today we are honored to continue our involvement and to pay tribute to our fallen national heroes. I encourage you to visit a national cemetery to experience the beauty of honoring those who served our country. It is time you won’t forget.”

"We are again excited to support our veterans by transporting thousands of wreaths across America,” said Covenant’s Paul Bunn, senior executive vice president, and COO. “Every year, seeing the wreaths across the graves is a sobering reminder of the sacrifice of so many.”

Click here to read more about our Military programs on page 21 of our CSR report.

Wreaths Across America History

In 1992, Morrill Worcester and his business Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine, had a surplus of wreaths toward the end of the holiday season. As a child, Worcester had visited the Arlington National Cemetery. The experience reminded him throughout his life of the sacrifice some had made for others, including himself, to succeed and flourish.

Worcester initially made plans to lay the wreaths in honor of our veterans at an older, less-visited section of Arlington National Cemetery. Volunteers stepped forward to help deliver and place the wreaths.

In 2007, the Wreaths Across America non-profit group was founded. Since then, the event has expanded to all 50 states to lay wreaths at veteran cemeteries to remember our fallen heroes, honor those who serve, and teach our children about the sacrifices made by veterans and their families.

U.S. Congress voted December 13 as the annual “Wreaths Across America Day” in 2008.