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City of Tonawanda Cemetery receives a makeover with help from the community

Businesses and volunteers have donated top soil, sand, stone and money to support the project.

CITY OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. — Under the arches of the City of Tonawanda Cemetery, you will find headstones broken, toppled over and in need of repair.

"The conditions here are just not acceptable," said City Cemetery Review Board member Ron Snyder.

Snyder said the cemetery has more than a thousand headstones in need of repair.  

2 On Your Side first told you about the condition of the cemetery in July. Since that story, Snyder has seen an outpouring of community support to repair the headstones.

"It's really gained momentum ever since the interview aired just a few weeks ago," he said.

Businesses and volunteers have donated top soil, sand, stone and money to support the project. City of Tonawanda Mayor Rick Davis told 2 On Your Side he hopes to help fund the project in next years budget.

In the meantime, volunteers have started work from donations. Trimming overgrown trees, planting flowers and repairing headstones.

A large community repair event will be held on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the cemetery. Anyone is welcome to come and help repair the headstones. The event will get the project started but Snyder said they have a lot to do.

"It's going to probably take five to ten years, it's going to be a long long process."

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