Local volunteers clean Maides Park Cemetery to honor Juneteenth

Over a dozen volunteers came out on Saturday, June 17th to clean up the grounds of the Maides Park Cemetery, located on Manly Ave.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) – With Juneteenth just a few days away, a local group of volunteers has continued a special tradition to honor their ancestors.

Over a dozen volunteers came out on Saturday, June 17th to clean up the grounds of the Maides Park Cemetery, located on Manly Ave.

The group, in partnership with Historic Wilmington Foundation, has cleaned the grounds every year for the past 3 years.

Kathy King is a descendant of the Maides and has a sister buried in the cemetery.

She said her connection to the cemetery made all of the effort worth it.

“Its special because its a time to celebrate our ancestors and give them respect,” King said. “Those who have lived and died and are buried in this cemetery. I feel an obligation for us to continue to take care of it and Juneteenth is a perfect time to be able to celebrate our ancestors.”

King said she was happy to see more than the double the regular number of volunteers came out to help out.