In 1992, Merrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, ME. had a surplus of Christmas wreaths. Remembering a boyhood trip he made at 12 to visit Arlington National Cemetery, he made arrangements with the help of Maine Senator Olympia Snow to place wreaths in an older section of Arlington Cemetery.
The annual tribute continued for several years, including a special ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, until 2005, when a photo of Arlington in the snow with wreaths on the headstones received national attention. Thousands of requests poured in from all the country from people wanting to help with the Arlington project or emulate the project in their area. In 2007, Wreaths Across America, a non-profit 501(c)3 Corporation, was formed to continue and expand the wreath effort.