National Make A Difference Day October 24 - Please Help!

Michelle LaFreniere · Post by **Michelle LaFreniere** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 7:39 pm

Saturday October 24th is National Make a Difference Day.

My brother Rory and I have come up with a plan to hopefully involve a great majority of our community. The headstones at our local cemeteries are in serious need of a good cleaning.

We have researched how to do this effectively and safely. We gained permission from the Holy Cross Cemetery Board, and approached the Township Cemetery Board. The township board was unable to grant us permission because of liability issues. HOWEVER.. they did say that if we contacted the "property owner" or the next of kin and were given permission to clean the headstones we could do it, but just not as a whole cemetery project. So if you are the next of kin or own a headstone in the township cemetery, contact us and we will show you how to clean it or assign a person to do it.

If you are able to help with this huge project in any way, shape or form, please let us know. We need people to do the actual cleaning, someone to bring coffee, cocoa, etc to the workers .

In our research we discovered that you can ONLY USE PLASTIC SCRAPERS, etc for this, and they must not have been used on anything else. There is an actual chemical that you use to do this and the Holy Cross Cemetery Board has agreed to purchase this. We do need various size and shapes of NEW PLASTIC scrapers if anyone wants to donate some of those.

We want to, after the stones are cleaned, make a pictorial directory of the cemetery, to preserve digitally and in hard copy our history. The stones that are "unreadable" will have rubbings made of them as well, although we would like to assign that to a school group. (anybodys class up for a cool local history project??)

Contact me at 231-675-8909 or Rory at 231-459 -5693. Rory has been a little under the weather so just leave a message and one of us will get back to you as soon as we can.

and I am thinking we will meet at 9 am.. but come when you can, stay as long as you can.. and thanks for the help in advance..

Sheri Timsak · Post by **Sheri Timsak** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:18 pm

Sounds like a good time for us to have in the cemetary!!! Count me in!!

kathleen belfy antkoviak · Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:01 am

What time on Saturday?

Michelle LaFreniere · Post by **Michelle LaFreniere** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:21 am

KK.. 9 am.. but, by all means we will take what ever hours you have to give.. Thank you for your interest!

Michelle LaFreniere · Post by **Michelle LaFreniere** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:33 pm

Rory is on the mend now.. so call one of us if you can help!

Michelle LaFreniere · Post by **Michelle LaFreniere** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:38 pm

Still need more volunteers.. It should actually be a nice time, and you will be doing something that will benefit generations to come.. bring your new clean plastic scrapers and a bucket if you can. Hope to see you all there!

Williams · Post by **Williams** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 10:52 am

Count Travis and Missy Williams in

Sheri Timsak · Post by **Sheri Timsak** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:59 pm

Hey Michelle - I have to work until 3pm on Saturday but would like to help- let me know what time you guys are doing it!!!

Rose Gallagher · Post by **Rose Gallagher** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 7:34 pm

What a very nice thing to do.

Marilyn Racine · Post by **Marilyn Racine** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:26 am

Michelle & Rory,
I'll be working at Stoney Saturday, If someone would stop by, I'd be more than happy to donate food for the crew...just let me know how many.
Good Luck!
Marilyn Racine

Michelle LaFreniere · Post by **Michelle LaFreniere** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 5:10 pm

Due to the expected weather this weekend, and the fact that it is getting colder by the day, we have decided to postpone our project till spring. We hope we can count on all that volunteered to help in the spring.
Marilyn Racine and Stoney Acres, THANK YOU for even offering to feed us.. Can we call you in the spring?

Beaver Island Michigan

National Make A Difference Day October 24 - Please Help!

National Make A Difference Day October 24 - Please Help!

Still need a LOT more volunteers!

POSTPONEMENT