Prep is underway for Saturday's wreath laying ceremony at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
More than 18,000 wreaths arrived at Fort Snelling National Cemetery Friday morning.
Andrea Eichman is the cemetery's location coordinator with Wreaths Across America and says they've condensed the ceremony, which will also be streamed, to keep people out of the cold. Wind chills Saturday are expected to be around 25 below zero.
"The only people that need to be out are the eight wreath placers for the ceremony wreaths at the flagpole bases and then our rifle squad," says Eichman. "And nobody else will need to be outside for that ceremony. Everybody can stay warm in their cars."
Eichman all the wreaths get made in Columbia Falls, Maine before they're shipped off to 5,000 different locations nationwide.
"It's a spectacular thing when you think that Fort Snelling has four to five trucks delivered, and we're one of the bigger ones," she adds. "Arlington Cemetery has 25 trucks that deliver, so it's really, truly amazing."
Saturday's wreath laying ceremony begins at 11:00 a.m. The ceremony will be condensed and also streamed online due to those cold temperatures that are expected.
Wreaths Across America is asking anyone who is attending in person to enter the cemetery and keep moving as far back as you can, find a nice, quiet place to park. Then, using either your phone, or your radio, you will be able to listen to or watch the ceremony.
You can find the ceremony on FM 97.7, or you can use this link.