Wreaths Across America of New Britain Pasta Dinner Fundraiser Nets More than $10,000 for Annual Fairview Cemetery Tribute

2024 Fundraising Campaign Gets Off to Fast Start as More than 500 Patriots Attend May 15 Fundraiser at New Britain VFW

New Britain, Conn., June 3, 2024 – The 2024 fundraising campaign to raise critical dollars to sustain for years to come the annual Wreaths Across America of New Britain wreath-laying tribute to service that takes place each December at the City’s Fairview Cemetery got off to a flying start on Wednesday, May 15, with the campaign’s yearly Pasta Dinner extravaganza raising more than $10,000.

More than 500 patriots jam-packed the New Britain VFW to enjoy homemade pasta and sauce prepared by Disabled American Veterans Hardware City Chapter 8 Commander, Wreaths Across America of New Britain (WAANB) Co-Chair and Head Pasta Guru Dennis Taricani and his hard-working kitchen crew of volunteers. Meals were served by student volunteers from New Britain High School’s Culinary Program working hard alongside members of the NBHS Junior ROTC.

While attendees enjoyed their meals, including Italian bread donated by Harvest Bakery of Bristol and Mozzicato’s of Plainville and meatballs donated by Red Sponsor Ericson, Scalise & Mangan, P.C., and WAANB Planning Committee member John Eshoo, the New Britain High School Jazz Band entertained the gathering with a wide variety of dinner music and patriotic tunes.

Following presentation of the colors by the Junior ROTC students, WAANB Co-Chair Elaine Pavasaris led the audience in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and Kimberly Thomas, Dean of Students at New Britan High School, performed a rousing rendition of the National Anthem.

Six huge sheet cakes, each decorated with the colors of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Space Force, were donated by Costco of New Britain. The event’s famed Mega-Raffle, hailed as the area’s largest, was again a big hit, meticulously managed by David Obedzinski, President of  Patriot Sponsor the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain (CFGNB) and staff, and supported by White Sponsor the Suburban Woman’s Club of Greater New Britain.

The VFW donated its hall for the event, and Red Sponsor New Britain Memorial & Donald D. Sagarino Funeral Home donated ticket printing services and event seating.

“This was yet another fantastic event supported by a Greater New Britain community that is without equal in terms of its respect for those who served, a generous and patriotic corporate community, a City school system that is ready and willing to help and teach the value of service to its students, and a large, dedicated Planning Committee that steps up to every challenge,” said Taricani, who first introduced the national Wreaths Across America program to New Britain in 2014.

Added Taricani’s project Co-Chair Pavasaris, a local realtor with White Sponsor Home Sweet Home Realty and Secretary of White Sponsor the Rotary Club of Kensington-Berlin, “We are overwhelmed by the community’s boundless generosity and enthusiasm for this important annual project.”

The event was planned and executed by DAV Chapter 8 and a large Planning Committee of volunteers from Greater New Britain’s business, non-profit and veterans service organization communities. The Wreaths Across America of New Britain Planning Committee works to raise more than $20,000 annually to fund the ongoing effort. Proceeds from this event and others will be used to fund not only this year’s placement of more than 1,300 memorial wreaths at Fairview, but placements in years to come.

National Wreaths Across America Day takes place this year on December 14 at more than 4,225 locations nationwide and abroad, including New Britain’s Fairview Cemetery.

Planning is now underway for the WAANB Planning Committee’s second major fundraiser of the year, a Wine and Beer Fest to take place Friday, October 18, at the VFW.

Major sponsors of Wreaths Across America of New Britain 2024 include Patriot Sponsors the Mayor’s Trophy Charitable Fund, Anthony Micacci and Family, Perkins Travel and CFGNB; Red Sponsors Ericson Scalise & Mangan, Enjet Aero, New Britain Memorial Funeral Home, Mopars in Motion, Costco, Rotary Club of New Britain-Berlin, Richards Machine and Stew Leonard’s; White Sponsors Acme Monaco, Home Sweet Home, Image Ink, the Rotary Club of Kensington-Berlin, the Suburban Woman’s Club and Tomasso Group; and Blue Sponsors 8th Ward Political Club, Dennis Buden Public Relations, LLC, Polish American Club of Newington, Dennis and Lumnao Taricani, Roger and Pat Coyle and Kim Ullfers and Family.

Media Sponsor is the New Britain Herald.

Sponsorships ranging from $50 to $1,000 remain available year-round at www.davchapter8.org/wreaths-across-america-new-britain/sponsorship-opportunities.

Wreaths Across America of New Britain is part of the Wreaths Across America (WAA) national non-profit organization founded in 2007 to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. WAA’s mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington and at veterans cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and abroad. In 2023, more than three million wreaths were placed by countless volunteers at more than 4,000 locations.

To become a sponsor, buy a wreath, make a donation or to learn more about Wreaths Across America of New Britain and all of DAV Hardware City Chapter 8’s activities, visit www.davchapter8.org or send an e-mail to info@davchapter8.org.

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