COLUMBIA, Md. – MISSION BBQ customers have donated $359,567 to Wreaths Across America, a national nonprofit organization, through the purchase of American Heroes Cups, the companies announced Thursday.
The donation, presented by MISSION BBQ co-founder Bill Kraus to Wreaths Across America Executive Director Karen Worcester at a ceremony in Columbia, Maryland, will sponsor 21,151 veterans’ wreaths. These wreaths will be placed at 154 participating locations on National Wreaths Across America Day, Saturday, December 19, 2026.
“MISSION BBQ and its customers continue to show what it truly means to stand with our nation’s heroes,” Worcester said in a statement. “This generous gift is more than a donation; it is a powerful act of remembrance that helps ensure every veteran’s service is honored and their legacy lives on for generations to come.”
MISSION BBQ’s American Heroes Cups, priced at $4.99, contribute $2 to national military charities and local first responders with each purchase. Customers who return their cups for refills receive a discounted price of $1.49.
This contribution follows similar fundraising efforts by MISSION BBQ in recent years. In 2024, the company partnered with Wreaths Across America to kick off the American Heroes Cup campaign, according to a Yahoo Finance report. Previous campaigns have also generated significant donations, including $347,068 collected in 2023, as reported by the Osprey Observer and the Quad Cities Business Journal.
Founded in 2011, MISSION BBQ was established ten years after the September 11th attacks, with a stated mission to honor and support service members, firefighters, police officers, and first responders. The company incorporates patriotic tributes into its restaurants and holds a daily tradition of singing the National Anthem at noon.
Wreaths Across America began in 1992 with a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery initiated by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester. The organization has since expanded to coordinate wreath-laying ceremonies at over 5,500 locations nationwide and internationally, carrying out its year-long mission to Remember, Honor, and Teach.
Individuals interested in sponsoring a wreath or finding a participating location can visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.
