Wreaths Across America Aspen Grove Cemetery

We are currently in the Veteran's wreath fundraising stage of our event planning. If you would like us to come and  speak to your group, office, club, or other organization, please contact KCPS RADIO at (319) 754-6698.   We are always excited to share the Wreaths Across America story with members of the community!

REMEMBER the Fallen. . . HONOR those who Serve. . . TEACH our children the value of Freedom.

Wreaths Across America Day Saturday, December 13th, 2025

Volunteer Guide

10:15- 10:45am

• Make arrangements for one of your volunteers to be dropped-off at the SIGN-IN TABLE. Located inside the entrance gates to Aspen Grove Cemetery (2043 Sunnyside Ave). That volunteer will sign in yourself, your family, or your group. The person doing the drop-off will go further into the cemetery where PARKING will be along the roadways. Overflow parking will be at Sunnyside Elementary School across from the Aspen Grove Cemetery entrance.

• At sign-in volunteers will be given a map and assigned an area of the cemetery to place the wreaths. After your sign-in is completed, volunteers will be directed to the NW corner of the cemetery where the Veterans Memorial is located (follow the music.) There we will have a tent, hot coffee and hot cocoa.

11:00am

• At the Veteran's Memorial we will have a short Wreaths Across America Ceremony. Importantly, we will demonstrate the proper way to lay the wreaths and say the names. At the conclusion of the demonstration you will be dispatched to your assigned sections.

• The cemetery will be separated into 20 sections for the wreath placement. Volunteers will either walk or drive to their section based on distance. The number of wreaths needed at each section will be pre-placed near each section. Each veteran grave site within that section will have a small orange locator flag. After performing the proper wreath placement procedure, the volunteer will remove the orange flag and return the flag to the bucket located near the wreaths for that section. Do not place wreaths on graves with white locator flags, those are reserved for family.

• Each section will have a section leader (usually in a yellow volunteer vest.) These individuals will be available to direct volunteers and answer questions.

• After completing the placement of wreaths within your assigned section, the volunteers assigned to that section will return to the initial sign in area near the entrance to the cemetery and report in. This will allow staff to know which sections have been completed.

OTHER STUFF:

*Plan to walk, a lot. Plan for the cold, the rain, the snow, and generally being outdoors for maybe 3-hours total. Wear appropriate winter gear and hiking boots.

           *We have limited bathroom access. Bathrooms are located in the Aspen Grove Office.

* Please make sure everyone that wants to place a wreath, gets a chance to place a wreath. We're not in a hurry so please take time to perform a meaningful moment with each veteran.

*When all wreaths have been distributed, the two Location Coordinators will perform one last double-check to make sure every grave has a wreath.