Community Corner
Thousands To Remove Wreaths Saturday At Arlington Cemetery
Thousands of volunteers will be converging on Arlington National Cemetery Saturday to remove more than 245,000 wreaths from gravestones.
ARLINGTON, VA -- Thousands of volunteers are expected to help remove more than 245,000 wreaths from gravestones Saturday, Jan. 11, as part of Arlington National Cemetery's annual "Wreaths Out" event. The wreathes were placed on the graves by 35,000 volunteers on Dec. 14, 2019.
Due to the high volume of volunteers expected to show up starting at 8 a.m., nearby streets may experience traffic congestion and delays. Volunteers are encouraged to enter the cemetery using all entrances, including Memorial Avenue, South Gate Ord and Weitzel. In addition, DoD cardholders may enter by the Old Post Chapel gate.
Vehicles will not be allowed to enter cemetery grounds until 3 p.m. Volunteers with handicapped placards and family pass holders will be the only ones allowed to park in the cemetery's parking garage starting at 7 a.m. Parking will be on a first-come, first serviced basis. Volunteers must stay in their vehicles until the 8 a.m., when the cemetery opens. Taxi and rider share passengers can only be dropped off on Memorial Avenue adjacent to the Arlington Cemetery Metro Stop.
Find out what's happening in Arlingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Arlington National Cemetery shared the following Tips for Volunteers on its website:
- Give vehicles and heavy equipment the right of way and let them pass in roadways.
- Remove only WAA wreaths. Leave all other wreaths or decorations in place.
- Place wreaths in dumpsters positioned throughout the cemetery and pack them tightly.
- When dumpsters are filled, do not pile wreaths next to them. Carry wreaths to unfilled dumpsters.
- Do not jump or climb on wreaths in dumpsters to compress them
Follow Arlington National Cemetery's Twitter account to get the latest updates about Wreaths Out.
Find out what's happening in Arlingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
We invite volunteers to join us this Saturday to retire the wreaths and remove them from the cemetery. Only those with family passes or handicapped placards may use the parking garage. More parking tips here: https://t.co/OSJrKSPG7D pic.twitter.com/9g9zfVqYUA
— Arlington National Cemetery (@ArlingtonNatl) January 6, 2020
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