Hundreds brave weather to lay wreaths at Arlington Cemetery

Madeline Espinosa, 11, of Bethesda, Md., places a wreath at a grave as part of Wreaths Across America at Arlington National Cemetery, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016 in Arlington, Va. Organizers estimate more than 245,000 wreaths were placed at graves throughout the cemetery. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

ARLINGTON, Va. – Tens of thousands of volunteers will fan out across Arlington National Cemetery to set hundreds of thousands of donated wreaths at the headstones of those laid to rest there.

The Wreaths Across America project has become an annual tradition at Arlington. It began in 1992 when a Maine wreathmaker donated 5,000 surplus wreaths to the cemetery.

Last year, more than 70,000 volunteers helped lay the wreaths, which arrive from Maine via motorcade.

Bad weather expected for Saturday morning may reduce the crowds from last year, but organizers still expect enough volunteers to cover the entire cemetery.

An opening ceremony is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the cemetery's McClellan gate.

Volunteers are welcome to help lay wreaths and are encouraged to take Metro.