America’s Gold Star Families and the Sgt. Anthony Maddox Memorial will host three Fallen Hero Tree of Honor lighting ceremonies in Central Illinois this November, honoring more than 800 fallen military service members.
The annual holiday tradition will feature four trees across Illinois, including locations in Decatur, Peoria, Bloomington and Kankakee. Each tree honors service members from more than 40 states, representing all branches of the military and multiple conflicts.
The trees will be decorated with personalized ornaments bearing each fallen service member’s rank, name, birth and death dates, military branch and home state. The project honors those who died while serving on active duty and provides an opportunity for Gold Star families and communities to remember their sacrifice.
The 2026 ceremonies are scheduled for:
- Decatur: 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Decatur Civic Center, 1 Gary K. Anderson Plaza.
- Peoria: 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Peoria Riverfront Museum, 222 S.W. Washington St.
- Bloomington: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, at Central Illinois Regional Airport, 3201 Cira Drive.
A fourth tree will be featured at the Kankakee County Museum, 801 S. Eighth Ave., beginning Thursday, Dec. 3, as part of the museum’s Gallery of Trees exhibition. The Kankakee location will be available for public viewing only, with museum hours Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Gold Star families, veterans and members of the public are invited to attend the three lighting ceremonies and help place ornaments on the trees following the ceremonies.
The Fallen Hero Tree of Honor project began in 2016 to ensure fallen service members are never forgotten while providing hope, healing and support for families facing the loss of a loved one during the holiday season.
America’s Gold Star Families is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting those grieving military losses resulting from active-duty service. The program is funded through donations.
For more information, visit www.americasgoldstarfamilies.org or email info@americasgoldstarfamilies.org.
