麻豆视频

Commercial Transportation Program Delivers for Wreaths Across America Initiative

December 20, 2024

Renewing its commitment to a nationwide holiday tradition, 麻豆视频’s commercial transportation program supported Wreaths Across America’s annual December wreath-laying ceremonies by picking up and delivering more than 5,000 wreaths to ultimately be placed on grave sites of military members across the region.

Bryan Ward, program department chair, along with instructor Lauren Burleson and student Omar Lewis, made the trip to Maine to pick up 5,040 wreaths. Coworker Nichole Scott was a big part of the delivery process once the wreaths were back in Delaware.

Ward and company left for the 700-mile trip to Maine at midnight on Monday, December 9. They got loaded with wreaths and were back on the road by Tuesday afternoon, arriving home in the early-morning hours Wednesday. After a quick respite, deliveries of the wreaths were made that day to locations in Harrington, Delaware (2,688 wreaths), and Denton (372), Salisbury (1,464), and Greensboro (516), Maryland, for the final journey to a number of regional cemeteries.

“It is an amazing effort,” Ward said of the entire operation. “This is the behind-the-scenes work that people don’t always think about, but this is one of the ways Delaware Tech can help reach into the community and play an important role in helping people remember and celebrate 5,040 loved ones.”

In addition to the quick turnaround of the trip, the crew also had to deal with Mother Nature, which brought bouts of high gusting winds and heavy rain. Those elements created a real-world, hands-on educational experience for Lewis.

“It created a meaningful opportunity to experience what a real load looks like within the industry,” said Ward, who added that Lewis did an outstanding job driving in the inclement weather. “Things don’t always go as planned but you still have to make it successful.”

Delaware Tech first began assisting with the wreath project in 2015 but took a few years off due to Covid and was able to rejoin the effort this year. Now that the College is back to supporting the initiative, Ward hopes to grow its commitment.

“With the CDL program coming to the Middletown Center next year, we hope to become a true statewide project,” he said.

Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2007 to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine wreath maker Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization’s yearlong mission - Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve, Teach the next generation the value of freedom - is carried out, in part, each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at thousands of participating locations in all 50 states and beyond.