Maine Christmas Wreath Company Under Scrutiny For Possible Conflict Of Interest With Family Charity

A charity watchdog organization is questioning whether a Bangor firm supplying the nonprofit Wreaths Across America is inappropriately benefiting from the relationship.

CharityWatch says the wreath charity and Worcester Wreath Co. may have too cozy a relationship – one that is hard to separate financially.

The charity was created by Worcester Wreath to decorate graves in Arlington National Cemetery each year during Christmas.

But the group that investigates charities for questionable behavior says it is looking into whether an inappropriately large amount of money is being transferred from the charity to the wreath company.

“The structure of this charity is highly unusual, especially at this scale,” Laurie Styron, CEO and Executive Director of CharityWatch, told 7News I-Team.

“You don’t often see nearly a hundred million dollars in only a matter of three years being funneled from a public charity to a family business that is largely controlled by the same people,” Styron added.

In 1992, Morrill Worcester, who runs a farm and wreathmaking company near Bangor, had roughly 5,000 leftover holiday wreaths.

Worcester received permission to place them on gravesites at Arlington as a tribute to fallen veterans, a holiday tradition he and his family continued for years thereafter with little fanfare.

When a photo of wreaths in the snow at Arlington went viral in 2005, that family ritual evolved into a multi-million-dollar charitable effort.

Wreaths Across America was founded in 2007 by Morrill Worcester and his wife, Karen, who now serves as the charity’s executive director, and reaches all fifty states.

The charity has never had any supplier other than Worcester Wreath Company, which is still owned and operated by the Worcester family.

Wreaths Across America issued a statement to the originating news outlet that carried this story defending the financial setup.

“Wreaths Across America has always been open about its relationship with Worcester Wreath,” a spokesman told WJLA. “The company’s involvement is part of our history, and we take seriously our responsibility to manage it with transparency and integrity.”