COLUMBIA FALLS (AP) — Maine-made wreaths are about to begin a journey down to Arlington National Cemetery.

A project called Wreaths Across America kicks off a convoy from Maine to Virginia this weekend. It will beled by Grand Marshal Candy Martin, the 2016 president of the American Gold Star Mothers.

Martin will lead 10 tractor-trailers carrying loads of Maine-made balsam fir wreaths that will be placed at headstones in Arlington Cemetery. There will also be countless motorcycles, a half-dozen police cruisers and more than a dozen other vehicles.

The tradition began when Maine wreath maker Morrill Worcester donated 5,000 wreaths to Arlington Cemetery. This year, there will be more than 200,000 of them placed at Arlington alone. Tens of thousands more are going to be placed at veterans’ cemeteries around the world.

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