Several area cemeteries are participating in Nation Wreaths Across America Day 2026, which will take place Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026. There are more than 5,500 participating locations across all 50 states, at sea and abroad.
Standard sponsorship is $17 per live balsam wreath. At some locations, sponsors can direct their wreath toward a particular Veteran's grave. To sponsor a wreath, go to www.wreathsacrossamerica.org and search for the location wanted. Multiple wreaths can be sponsored.
In Manatee County, five cemeteries are participating in Wreaths across America, with more planning to participate next year. Two cemeteries are fully funded for 2026 - Old Memphis Cemetery and Parrish Cemetery. Mansion Memorial Park, Fortner Cemetery and St Frances Cabrini Catholic Church all still need sponsorships. Mansion Memorial has 176 wreaths to go and is accepting grave specific sponsorships. Fortner Cemetery has 86 wreaths yet to be sponsored and is not accepting grave specific placements. St. Frances has 487 wreaths to go and is accepting grave specific and Veteran wreath placements. In addition, Sarasota National Cemetery has a large number of wreaths still needing sponsorship - 22,056. Sarasota National is accepting grave specific Ceremony and Veteran Wreath Placements.
The 2026 theme for Wreath is "Remember Me." "We often speak of 'our service members' as though they are one unified group," says Karen Worcester, Executive Director of Wreaths Across America. "Yet within that group are countless individuals, each with a name, a family, and a story that helped shape the freedoms we cherish today. While we honor them collectively, we can sometimes overlook the deeply personal sacrifices: the parent who never met a grandchild, the young recruit asked to shoulder more than any teenager should, the veteran who returned home carrying memories too heavy to share."
According to the Wreaths Across America website, the initiative strives to ensure that no one is forgotten, no matter where they served or how. Those who place the wreaths are urged to say the Veteran's name and rank, ensuring they are remembered and honored.