In just three years, Emporia’s Wreaths Across America has accomplished what organizers say often takes events of their size 10 years to do: achieve 100 percent coverage of veteran graves.
This was an extreme point of pride for organizers and local and state leaders who attended the annual Wreaths Across America ceremony inside Maplewood Memorial Lawn Cemetery Saturday morning, including Kansas Congressman Derek Schmidt, who tells KVOE News he was not surprised that the founding city of Veterans Day managed to come together to properly honor the memory of more than 2,300 veterans.
Offering remarks Saturday was 60th District Kansas Representative Mark Schreiber, who says while other ceremonies honor simply the service and sacrifice of veterans, Wreaths Across America serves not only as a time of remembrance and honor, but also a homecoming.
Also offering remarks Saturday was Charter Funeral Homes, the owner of Maplewood, Manager Jimmy Radovich, who says they are always proud to be the host site of the event, but this year came with an extra sense of pride to simply be a part of such a generous and devoted community.
Following the ceremony, which included the placing of wreaths recognizing each branch of military, prisoners of war, soldiers missing in action and gold star families, hundreds of volunteers made their way out into the cemetery to place each of the more than 2,300 wreaths by hand. This sight, and the overwhelming push by the community in recent months to make it a possibility, was positively overwhelming to lead organizer Scott Burenheide, who watched on while speaking with KVOE News.
After only holding the ceremony the first year and placing just over 600 wreaths last year, Burenheide started year three to acquire 1,600 wreaths before amassing a team that led to 100 percent coverage this year. Burenheide says 100 percent coverage will be the goal from here on out and he wishes he could go and personally thank every person who helped make that the standard this year.
Emporia’s ceremony was one of 5,000 across the world, including nearly 90 in Kansas, held Saturday with more than 3 million wreaths in total being placed to honor veterans across the globe. With the 2025 event now wrapped up, organizers have already announced that the 2026 event will be held at Maplewood on Saturday, December 19th.
Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE News
