7th Annual Wreaths Across America of New Britain Day Ceremony and Wreath-Laying Saturday, December 14, at Fairview Cemetery

Public Invited to Help Lay Wreaths; Guest Speakers Are Connecticut National Guard Adjutant General Francis Evon, Jr., Mayor Erin Stewart

New Britain, Conn., December 6, 2024 – The Wreaths Across America of New Britain (WAANB) project’s annual holiday season honoring of service and sacrifice will take place for the seventh time on Saturday, December 14, with an 11 a.m. open-to-the-public ceremony at Fairview Cemetery featuring student performances, color guards and guest speakers City of New Britain Mayor Erin E. Stewart and Major General Francis J. Evon, Jr., Adjutant General of the Connecticut National Guard.

This year’s event at the cemetery, located at 120 Smalley Street, New Britain, will differ from the past. The ceremony has been moved up one hour from the former 12 noon start time, and this year, more emphasis is being placed on public participation. The public is invited and encouraged to help lay – following the ceremony – more than 1,400 wreaths honoring those who served and those we’ve lost upon the gravesites of Veterans interred in the Veterans’ Sections of Fairview. In previous years, it was mostly members of the project’s Planning Committee, a cross-section of representatives from the local business, non-profit and veterans service organization communities, along with community volunteers, who laid wreaths in the early morning hours prior to the ceremony.

“This is a very special annual holiday tradition and we want more members of the Greater New Britain community to be part of it,” said Disabled American Veterans Hardware City Chapter 8 Commander and Co-Chair of the Wreaths Across America of New Britain 2024 Project Dennis Taricani. “Wreaths Across America is a wonderful opportunity for families to engage their children in an important community event, and to teach them the powerful lessons of service and sacrifice.”

In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place indoors at the VFW Post 511 Hall, 41 Veterans Drive, New Britain. Importantly, the laying of wreaths will take place after the ceremony regardless of weather. Any weather-related announcements or changes will be posted on the Wreaths Across America of New Britain Facebook page www.facebook.com/wreathsfornewbritain.

Mayor Stewart is now in her sixth term as New Britain mayor and has been a long-time supporter of the local Wreaths Across America project and the Veteran community. Major General Evon, whose military career began in 1985 and has included multiple leadership positions at the Company, Battalion, and Brigade levels, is responsible to the Governor and the Chief, National Guard Bureau, for providing operationally trained, equipped and mission-ready forces to support both U.S. mobilization requirements and state emergency operations to include developing and coordinating counter terrorism and domestic preparedness contingencies for the State of Connecticut.

Also taking part in the December 14 ceremony are Wreaths Across America of New Britain 2024 Co-Chairs Dennis Taricani and Elaine Pavasaris; The Rev. Michael T. Casey, pastor and chaplain, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, New Britain; color guards representing DAV Hardware City Chapter 8, the New Britain High School JROTC and General Jozef Haller Post 111; members of the New Britain High School Madrigal Singers and Golden Hurricanes Marching Band; and the Marine Corps League, Hardware City Detachment 781 Rifle Squad. Also taking part are honorary designees who will place commemorative wreaths during the ceremony saluting the various branches of the military as well as POWs/MIAs, including Paul Wilczawski (U.S. Army wreath); Ray Carrier (U.S. Marine Corps wreath); Joseph Salerno (U.S. Navy wreath); Diane Roth (U.S. Air Force wreath); Carol Fitzsimons (U.S. Coast Guard wreath); Sandy Tilly Roberg (U.S. Merchant Marines wreath); Lucia Micacci (U.S. Space Force wreath); and Pat Bedard (POWs/MIAs wreath).

Major sponsors of Wreaths Across America of New Britain 2024 include Patriot Sponsors the Community Foundation of Greater New  Britain, Mayor’s Trophy Charitable Fund, Anthony Micacci and Family, Perkins Travel and Unity Lodge 148, Connecticut Freemasons; Red Sponsors Costco, Enjet Aero, Ericson, Scalise & Mangan, Mopars in Motion, New Britain Memorial and Donald D. Sagarino Funeral Home, Richards Machine, Rotary Club of New Britain-Berlin and Stew Leonard’s; and White Sponsors Acme Monaco, Home Sweet Home Realty, the Hudyma Family, Image Ink, the Rotary Club of Kensington-Berlin, Suburban Woman’s Club of Greater New Britain and Tomasso Group.

Media Sponsor is The New Britain Herald. A complete list of sponsors can be found at  www.davchapter8.org/wreaths-across-america-new-britain/sponsors/.

The local Wreaths Across America initiative is managed annually by the Disabled American Veterans, Hardware City Chapter 8. For complete information on the Wreaths Across America of New Britain initiative, please visit www.davchapter8.org/wreaths-across-america-new-britain. For information about the national Wreaths Across America movement, visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.

About the Disabled American Veterans

The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is a non-profit 501(c)(4) charity dedicated to building better lives for America’s disabled veterans and their families. Last year, the organization provided more than 210,000 rides to veterans attending medical appointments and assisted in filing over 174,000 claims for benefits, which resulted in $26 billion in earned benefits received. With more than 1,200 chapters, including DAV Hardware City Chapter 8, and more than one million members across the country, DAV empowers our nation’s heroes and their families by helping to provide the resources they need and ensuring our nation keeps the promises made to them.

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Media Contact: Dennis Buden, DAV Hardware City Chapter 8 (860) 558-0514 dennis.buden@davchapter8.org