AGAWAM – When Michele Urbinati’s grandfather, a 20-year Air Force veteran, died several years ago, she began raising money in his honor for Wreaths Across America. It hosts a wreath-laying event every December at the Massachusetts Veterans Cemetery in Agawam as part of National Wreaths Across America Day.

The Robinson Park School preschool teacher started raising money in 2016. Urbinati makes crafts to sell at fairs and farmers markets, gets donations from local businesses, sells 50-50 raffles at Agawam Youth Football games and organizes a district dress-down day for Agawam school staff that this year raised $2,000.

“People support me because it’s such a good cause and because many have family members at the cemetery,” she said. “They also appreciate that what I raise stays local.”

As the spouse of a veteran, Urbinati’s grandmother is also interred at the cemetery. Every year at Christmas, her grandfather placed a wreath on his wife’s grave. That personal family tradition continues today as part of Wreaths Across America. Urbinati will be among 1,500 people expected at this year’s wreath-laying on Dec. 17.

Paul Barabani is president of Friends of the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Agawam and a co-location coordinator for Wreaths Across America. He said efforts by Urbinati and many other wreath sponsors raised enough money for more than 9,000 wreaths – which cost $15 each – to ensure every Christian headstone will have a wreath.

“When this program began at the Agawam cemetery in 2011, we estimate there were only 150 wreaths,” he said. “That number has increased each year, with full coverage reached in 2017 and every year since.”

The purpose of the event is not to decorate the cemetery, he explained, but to remember every veteran at rest at Agawam.

“The collective result of individual acts of remembrance creates a memorable visual demonstration of our respect for veterans – much like the iconic image of wreaths placed at Arlington National Cemetery, where this tradition started.”

What became Wreaths Across America began in 1992 when Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company in Maine, realized his company had a surplus of wreaths near the end of the holiday season. He arranged for those wreaths to be placed at Arlington National Cemetery, starting what is now an annual tribute to veterans.

This homage to veterans was largely unnoticed until 2005 when a photo of the Arlington headstones – adorned with wreaths and covered in snow – gained nationwide attention. National and state cemeteries soon began replicating what had been done at Arlington.

Wreaths Across America is important to families of veterans who are buried at the cemetery, said Barabani.

“Families with members in the service have an empty seat at the table that is always more impactful during the holiday season,” he said. “For Gold Star families, that seat will forever be vacant. Other families throughout the region also have loved ones at rest in the cemetery.”

Barabani said families come together for this day of remembrance to pay respects to their loved one’s service, and take strength in being joined by others from the community.

“It’s a powerful, emotional, uplifting experience to see such a response while realizing that the same thing is happening at more than 3,400 locations across our nation and overseas,” he said.

He said wreath sponsorships at the Agawam cemetery extend beyond the town, with numerous out-of-state sponsors. Some local groups that sponsored wreaths this year include Doering School, Veterans Dragon Boat USA, Massachusetts Combat Wounded Veterans, Southwick Regional School and Friends of the Agawam Veterans Cemetery.

So many volunteers have showed up to lay wreaths that in 2019 organizers had to begin a shuttle service between the cemetery and off-site parking at Six Flags New England.

“Event attendance outgrew the cemetery as well as its Main Street entrance,” Barabani said. “The year before, cars were parked for a mile in either direction from the entrance.” 

Barabani said Six Flags officials immediately agreed to let the event use their parking lot at 1623 Main St., Agawam, and have been a strong supporter of WAA ever since. Dennis King, an Agawam resident, Coast Guard veteran and owner of King-Gray Coach Lines, provided his company’s coach buses.

“The parking and shuttle service has contributed to the growth in popularity of our annual event,” said Barabani. He added that using buses also allows “bus ambassadors” to make administrative announcements during the ride to the cemetery so the ceremony’s focus is on remembering veterans. Shuttles begin running after the parking lot opens at 8 a.m.

Local television newscaster Dave Madsen will host the opening ceremony, which starts at 10 a.m. Barabani said the ceremony will be “a professional and emotional tribute to our nation and those who served to preserve our freedom.”

The ceremony will begin with a Vietnam veteran singing the national anthem, followed by placing wreaths in tribute to current members of the six military branches, the nearly 94,000 POW or MIA service members, and Gold Star families.

There will be a rife salute by the cemetery’s volunteer firing detail while two Agawam brothers, Gabe and Christian Rua, will sound taps. The ceremony will conclude with three sixth graders from Doering School singing a traditional patriotic song.

Wreaths will be distributed at five locations throughout the cemetery – about 1,800 wreaths at each site. Two teams each from Barnes Air National Guard Base and Westover Air Reserve Base, and one team from the Eversource Veterans Association will distribute wreaths to volunteers, who will be asked to place them respectfully at all headstones displaying a Christian symbol.

To provide community input into the event, Barabani works with an advisory board. Members include Mike Brunetti, co-location coordinator; Jennifer Gannett, chief of staff from the mayor’s office; Kathy Goyette-Jediny, Doering School teacher; Dennis King from King-Gray Coach Lines; Chris Lanski, director of veteran services for the district that includes Agawam; Aldo Mancini, chair of the Agawam Veteran Council; and Les Tingley, Agawam’s cable access television and media manager.

Barabani said Wreaths Across America is driven by grateful Americans who give freely of their time and resources, sponsor wreaths and gather to express their appreciation for those who preserved freedom.

“Motivated by love of family and freedom, the event at the Agawam veterans cemetery is the most meaningful patriotic event in the region,” he said.