What’s better than barbecue? How about barbecue for a good cause or, in this case, two good causes?
On June 24, the St. John’s Cemetery Volunteer Improvement Group in Garson is holding its annual barbecue fundraiser. The event, held on the grounds of the cemetery, is a yearly event that raises funds to help the group in its efforts to upkeep the Garson cemetery.
For more than 30 years, the dedicated group of volunteers has kept St. John’s Cemetery a pristine place for families and friends to visit deceased loved ones.
From noon until 3 p.m. on June 24 (Sunday), the volunteers will be serving up barbecue and collecting funds to help continue their work. The annual barbecue turns five this year. Those who attend will not only be helping the St. John’s volunteers, they will be helping Maison McCulloch Hospice as well.
The cemetery volunteers say all proceeds from this Sunday’s barbecue will be donated to the hospice’s expansion project.
The St. John’s volunteers have some ambitious plans for this season (that your generosity will help to fund). They plan on painting the 25-year-old fence along the Garson-Coniston Rd, trimming and removing some trees, and constructing another elevated cremation garden this fall.
You can also help the group in its efforts by purchasing their new memorial book. Recently published, the book details the history of St. John’s Cemetery from 1980 until 2017. Copies sell for $25 apiece.
And while the event, in a way, celebrates the efforts of the volunteers to keep the cemetery beautiful, this year’s barbecue will be marked with a touch of sadness.
A member of the St. John’s Cemetery group passed away recently. He was the 86-year-old man who tragically lost life on June 11 in Garson in an incident involving a dump truck.
The group will be remembering the man (whose name is being kept private at the request of his family) during the event with a memorial book on hand for people to sign.
