Last week, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Jersey Mike’s founder and CEO Peter Cancro honored veterans at a special ceremony on Ellis Island.
The tribute was part of the nonprofit Wreaths Across America’s annual pilgrimage from Harrington, Maine, to Arlington National Cemetery to deliver hundreds of thousands of wreaths for Wreaths Across America Day on December 13. Known as the world’s largest veterans parade, the Wreaths Across America (WAA) convoy stops at schools, monuments, veterans’ homes, and communities each year.
To commemorate this year’s event, MSNBC’s "Taking the Hill" produced a special edition hosted by former Congressman, Iraq War veteran, and contributor Patrick Murphy. Airing on December 14, the half-hour show outlined how Wreaths Across America got its start and its extraordinary ongoing work for veterans.
Featured in the segment were Jersey Mike’s Cancro and his long-time friend Edith Nowels, 85, who was this year’s convoy Grand Marshal and Gold Star sister of Cpl. Horace "Bud" Thorne, who was killed in action 70 years ago this year in WWII's Battle of the Bulge.
“One day, Edith walks in and says she found out about this organization in Maine called Wreaths Across America and I was very interested in how Jersey Mike’s could help, as ‘Giving… making a difference in someone’s life’ is our mission statement,” Cancro says. “In addition to honoring the memory of the fallen, our youth need to understand the value of freedom in this country and that is part of Wreaths Across America’s mission that really strikes a chord with me.”
Since 2012, Jersey Mike’s has raised close to $1 million to support Wreaths Across America, whose mission is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and their families, and teach our children the value of freedom.
This year, more than 700,000 remembrance wreaths were placed in honor of veterans nationally and abroad, including, for the first time, on the graves of every veteran buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
All year round, through a variety of programs, Jersey Mike’s franchisees across the country support the military and their families.
