(COLUMBIA FALLS, Maine) – Today, Wreaths Across America (WAA) proudly announces its 2021 Race Program which will include a 737-mile virtual Escort to Arlington Challenge, two virtual Running for Wreaths options (5K and 10K available) in May and September, and one in-person Stem to Stone Remembrance Run this July, with a virtual option.
This year’s race program is the result of an expanded partnership with event-management and timing company CompetitorME, after a successful inaugural year in 2020 where eight virtual road races were held across the country.
The variety of options for supporters provides an opportunity to build community awareness and understanding of WAA’s yearlong mission to Remember, Honor, Teach.
The complete list of the race options and open registrations can be found at competitorme.com/wreaths-across-america, and include:
- Escort to Arlington Challenge: This 737-mile virtual course starts in Columbia Falls, Maine, where WAA is headquartered and travels down the East Coast to Arlington, Virginia, just as the annual escort to Arlington does each December.
- Running for Wreaths (5K & 10K) Virtual Races – May and September: Participants have the flexibility to run/walk/ruck/bike on the course of their choosing while raising funds to sponsor veterans’ wreaths for Participating Locations or Sponsorship Groups they support.
- Stem to Stone Remembrance Run (in-person in Maine, with virtual option): 2021 will be the 3rd year this race is hosted on the tip lands in Maine where balsam is grown and harvested each year to make the veterans’ wreaths placed on the headstones of our nation’s heroes.
Simply click on the individual event and you’ll be brought to the official RunSignUp registration pages which have all the pertinent information, such as event dates, pricing, course maps, and donation opportunities. (#RunningForWreaths)
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to once again partner with CompetitorME and bring virtual race options for fundraising and fun to our supporters,” said Karen Worcester, executive director, Wreaths Across America. “In spite of the pandemic, last year we saw local groups and individuals participating in our virtual races across the country and sharing the mission as they found a healthy way to stay active and involved in their communities. We hope to continue that momentum by offering these new options to get involved and help share the mission to Remember, Honor, Teach.”
Each individual race registration, sponsors a fresh balsam veteran’s wreath that will be placed on the headstone of an American hero on December 18, 2021, as part of National Wreaths Across America Day. Group or individual fundraising tools and capabilities are available for all of the races and there is a TEAM option for the Escort to Arlington Challenge.
During check out, registrants can designate the Sponsorship Group or participating Wreaths Across America Location they want their sponsored wreath allocated to. Registrants will receive personalized racing bibs and commemorative finisher medallions, with event t-shirts. There is also a free RaceJoy app available for download by registrants to listen while they participate to learn more about the mission, hear stories of those who have served and the names of those that have sacrificed for our freedom.
“After the success of last year’s inaugural Stem to Stone Race Program, which ultimately was executed completely virtual aside from one race in Maine, we saw a great opportunity to try new and creative ways to the get the running community involved in the mission,” said Jonathan Kelley, owner CompetitorME. “Through our own team’s personal involvement with the WAA escort to Arlington, we’ve seen what the mission means to our Nation’s Gold Star Families and how important it is to Remember, Honor, Teach, every day of the year, and want to bring that experience to more people.”
