On Saturday, Dec. 19, a small cadre of dedicated volunteers put on their face masks, grabbed their snow shovels and helped teen Mark Hally place 1,300 holiday wreaths on Branford military graves on national Wreaths Across America (WAA) Day.

Volunteers assisted with quick distribution of wreaths among the town's seven cemeteries following a very brief and socially distanced WAA honor ceremony, which was arranged by Hally and took place at St. Agnes Cemetery at noon on Dec. 19, including a prayer for those who served.

Despite the limitations the pandemic has placed on his public fundraising efforts, Hally was determined to raise as much as possible and hold the event. He raised enough to sponsor 1,300 wreaths based on donations which came in from the community during the past weeks.

In 2019, Hally raised just over $16,000 and rallied volunteers to help him place 1,500 wreaths on Branford veterans' graves on national WAA Day, marking the first time Branford veterans' places of rest were decorated with WAA wreaths on the same day that WAA wreaths were placed on military graves at Arlington National Cemetery and at tens of thousands of other military graves across the country.

Hally instituted the program in Branford last year as part of his Eagle Scout project.

On Dec. 19, Hally told Zip06/The Sound he would like to thank everyone who donated to the program, sponsored a wreath for a military grave and/or came out to help him place wreaths in Branford this year.