Ashley Furniture Hosts Wreath Laying Ceremony at Soldiers Walk to Honor Veterans

Furniture World News Desk on 12/18/2017

During the ceremony, veterans (including, members of Arcadia’s American Legion Post 17 and members from the first of the 128 infantry), community members and Ashley volunteers laid wreaths at each of the war memorials along Soldiers Walk.

On Saturday, December 16th, Ashley Furniture Industries hosted a free and public ceremony with Wreaths Across America to honor and remember our veterans for their service. The event took place at Soldiers Walk in Arcadia’s Memorial Park, one of the premier war memorials in the United States outside of Washington, D.C. This is the second year Ashley has sponsored this event to commemorate National Wreaths Across America Day.

During the ceremony, veterans (including, members of Arcadia’s American Legion Post 17 and members from the first of the 128 infantry), community members and Ashley volunteers laid wreaths at each of the war memorials along Soldiers Walk. Simultaneously, thousands of volunteers and sponsors in over 1,200 additional locations across the country, at sea, and abroad held their own wreath-laying ceremonies to honor the contributions and sacrifice of U.S. veterans.

"Our first ceremony was last December at Soldiers Walk in Arcadia, Wisconsin’s Memorial Park," recalls Steve Ralston, Director of Safety, Ashley Distribution Services (U.S. Army Veteran). "It was frigid cold and snowing, and I thought even as cold as we were it was nothing compared to what our soldiers and heroes went through during the Battle of the Bulge. That was my unit that was there, so the mission objective to remember really hit home that day."

Leading up to this day, beginning in Maine, a parade of trucks traveled down the East Coast on a mission to lay remembrance wreaths at the grave sites of veterans at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, and other Veterans' cemeteries along the way. This year, Ashley Distribution Services assisted in transporting wreaths. Two Ashley trucks and trailers, debuted new “Salute Our Veterans” graphics, while delivering wreaths from Maine to Philadelphia National Cemetery and from Mississippi to Dallas/Fort Worth Cemetery. The two trailers were driven by Ashley Ambassadors who are military veterans. Ashley now has a total of six of these new trailers, all of which will run year-round out of each of their manufacturing and distribution facilities.

More about Wreaths Across America: Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization’s mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at hundreds of veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond. For more information or to sponsor a wreath please visit www.wWreathsAcrossAmerica.org.

More about Ashley Furniture Industries: Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. (Ashley) feels that every person deserves more value for their money. Established in 1945, Ashley is the largest manufacturer of home furnishings in the world, and was recently named one of America’s Best Employers by Forbes in 2017. From design through fulfillment, Ashley is committed to delivering the world’s best home furnishing values, selection and service, and earning the loyalty and trust of its customers every day. Visit Ashley online at www.ashleyfurniture.com and “like” Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. on Facebook.

More about Ashley Distribution Services: Ashley Distribution Services, LTD was established in 1974 by Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. and today is one of the industry’s largest private fleets. Ashley Distribution Services delivers Ashley Furniture to Ashley HomeStores and customers throughout the U.S. With a growing fleet, Ashley Distribution Services continues to expand beyond delivering furniture. Visit Ashley Distribution Services online at www.ashleydistributionservices.com.