Volunteers needed for Work Crew Days at Evergreen Cemetery

VILLAGE OF OWEGO (WBNG) - To keep Evergreen Cemetery in top shape, Work Crew Days are coming back for 2023. According to Chairperson John Ricklefs with the Evergreen Cemetery Committee, the hope is to have 15 to 20 people at a time.

For each Work Crew Day, from 9 a.m. to roughly noon, picking up sticks and raking are some of the ways to maintain the property.

“We have to pay attention to the preservation of the markers because a lot of these markers up here are over 100 years old so we have to preserve that part of the cemetery also,” said Ricklefs.

The Evergreen Cemetery Committee and Friends of the Evergreen Cemetery have been finalizing other objectives and projects to carry out for the 2023 season.

“The area where people park over here was originally 13 plots that were available for sale, but they were never sold because people park up here,” said Ricklefs. “The plan is to move the parking to the other side of the road over here where all these small trees are at and possibly the gazebo.”

Efforts big and small cost money to carry out, even for supplies, which can present challenges when it comes to village funding.

“The village needs to find more ways to get some money to be used up here,” said Ricklefs. “There are several other projects as I said. If we can get grants or donations, that’s even better. This is village property.”

With Friends of the Evergreen Cemetery being a non-profit, it’s an extra avenue to get funding through grants for preservation and beautification projects.

When it comes to the 2023 Work Crew Days, for this season weather permitting, some upcoming dates are April 22, May 13, and June 10,

To get involved, learn more specifics, and for a list of all the dates, find Evergreen Cemetery Committee on Facebook.