By Andrew Welliver
Nancy Fritcher received the 2023 Wreaths Across America Honor award for her work supporting their mission.
According to wreathsacrossamerica.org, each December on National Wreaths Across America Day, that mission is to remember, honor and teach by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as at more than 3,700 additional locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea and abroad.
The website goes on to say that from the “Revolutionary War to present day conflicts, our veterans are devoted sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers. They come from all backgrounds in life to place those lives on the line for our freedoms. There are millions of individual stories to tell. Get to know them by viewing the 4,760 recent posts made by our supporters or sponsor a wreath in honor of or in memory of an American hero.”
Fritcher has worked to build this program at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Syracuse and stayed committed to serving the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Each years Wreaths Across America celebrates people like Frircher with special recognition for their work.
Fritcher received the Honor Award which exemplifies someone who honors those who serve and their families in a way that supports the Wreaths Across America mission.
Fritcher works alongside her Girl Scout troop 10127 out of Baldwinsville.
They have taken over the work and responsibility of laying wreaths and educating those on the fallen veterans at the Woodlawn Cemetery since 2019.
They have worked to successfully catalogue the veterans there and have worked to improve the area where American Civil War veterans are remembered.
Fritcher and her scout troop have continued to work at Woodlawn Cemetery, and they don’t plan to stop anytime soon.
“I have every intention to continue helping at Woodlawn,” she said.
Through their work, they have been able to lay up to 2,000 wreaths at the cemetery, and their numbers grow every year.
“Our goal is to have 2,700 wreaths for all veterans at Woodlawn, and we’ve gotten close,” Fritcher said.
In addition to Wreaths Across America’s mission to place wreaths at more than 3,700 locations across the United States, there are also locations at sea and abroad where these ceremonies take place.
The wreath ceremonies take place Dec. 16 every year, with the intention of remembering American veterans all the way from the Revolutionary to the present day.
The organization teaches groups such as schools, scouts, civic and religious groups, and they return the favor by assisting them in their fundraisers so they can reach their goal of placing a wreath on each veteran’s grave. In return, these groups receive fundraising to help further their own missions as well.
Fritcher loves the work she has done and is very happy to be working with the organization.
“This is an incredibly rewarding experience,” she said.
For more information visit wreathsacrossamerica.org.
