BATH, N.Y. — In light of current circumstances, this year’s Wreaths Across America (WAA) at the Bath National Cemetery has been canceled.

In consideration of CDC, state, county, and public health guidelines, the Bath WAA committee has issued this statement: “We deeply regret having to make this decision, but we determined that we could not implement sufficient controls to mitigate the risks associated with hosting an event of this size under current and forecasted infection and transmission rates, while still conducting a respectful and honorable public event. We understand that, although this is disappointing for so many, we could no longer envision a way to safely accommodate the large number of visitors that typically participate in the wreath-laying effort.”

As past attendees know, the steep hill to and from the cemetery is a real challenge, especially for older and physically-challenged volunteers. The shuttles that get typically used are restricted to only allow three people at a time. This restriction, along with the additional requirement to clean the vehicles between each trip, make using the shuttles not a viable option to ensure public safety.

The ceremony that is normally held prior to wreath-laying will take place with designated volunteers. It will be closed to the public this year; however, a video of the ceremony will be available for viewing on our Facebook page.

All wreaths sponsored for this year will be forwarded to next year’s WAA event on 12/18/2021. Sponsorships can still be made online at www.WreathsAcross

AmericaBathNY.org no later than Nov. 30th, thus helping to make next year’s event much larger in scope.