News Release: Fox 32 Highlights Upcoming Wreaths Across America Event at ALNC

As part of the group's effort to honor every veteran laid to rest at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery (ALNC) with a wreath of remembrance, Location Coordinator Michele Barnett and Lt Colonel Constantine "Dino" Tsoukatos paid a visit to Fox 32's Good Day Chicago program November 26, 2025 to discuss the Wreaths Across America program.

What began as a simple gesture from Worcester Wreath Company, sending their 5,000 surplus evergreen wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery for placement on the oldest section of graves in 1992, Wreaths Across America has grown into an event that takes place at over 5,600 cemeteries across the nation.  Lt Col Tsoukatos said in the Fox 32 interview, "I've been stationed in DC and (been to) Arlington, to see those wreaths there in the winter time.  Sometimes with the snow.  It's very somber and it's a great tribute.  Here we have Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery."  "Knowing that there's people that honor and recognize the sacrifices that veterans have made is a truly humbling experience."

The inaugural Wreath Day event at ALNC took place in 2009 when 19,576 were interred there and 50 wreaths were placed.  With over 80,000 resting there currently, organizers are on track to recognize over 23,000 veterans with a wreath for the 2025 Wreath Day.  At over 900 acres, ALNC is located on the old Joliet Arsenal property and will be the resting place for over 400,000 veterans.

This year's Wreaths Across America event at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery takes place Saturday, December 13, 2025.  The 11am ceremony is followed by volunteers spreading across the cemetery to pay a visit to those laid to rest there and place a wreath of remembrance against their headstone.  Carrying on the mission of Wreaths Across America - Remember the fallen, Honor those who served, and Teach the next generation the value of freedom.  More information about the event can be found on the Wreaths Across America - Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery website at this link:  https://wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/16036/overview/

About National Cemeteries
National Cemeteries were first developed in the United States during the Civil War.  In 1862, Congress empowered President Abraham Lincoln "to purchase cemetery grounds and cause them to be securely enclosed, to be used as a national cemetery for the soldiers who shall die in the service of the country."  Dedicated into service on October 3, 1999, Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery was the first National Cemetery to be named after a President.

About Wreaths Across America
Wreaths Across America is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that was founded in 2007 in response to the growing desire across the country to emulate the wreath placement event at Arlington National Cemetery.  In 2008, the event took place at over 300 locations, placing over 100,000 wreaths on veteran's graves.  In 2024, over three million sponsored veterans' wreaths were placed on headstones of our nation's service members at over 4,900 locations by over four million volunteers.  The event each year is accomplished with the support of more than 7,400 sponsorship groups, corporate contributions, and in-kind donations from the transportation industry across the country.