ERIE, Pa. — Erie Cemetery is turning to the community for help with its ongoing storm cleanup efforts through a drive-thru BBQ chicken dinner fundraiser next month.
The Erie Cemetery Association and Bentley Tree Care are hosting the event Nov. 14 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Erie Cemetery, 2116 Chestnut St.
Dinners are $25 each and are available by presale only. The meals will be provided by Meeder’s Restaurant of Ripley, New York. Tickets are available at eriecemeteryassoc.com.
The fundraiser comes as cleanup continues following the Sept. 3 windstorm, which damaged an estimated 500 of the cemetery’s 1,200 trees.
For weeks, crews with Bentley Tree Care have been removing fallen and damaged trees from the property.
Erie Cemetery Association Executive Director David Rinderle said earlier this month that the cemetery was about halfway through the cleanup process. In addition to tree damage, the cemetery is also assessing damage to headstones and monuments.
Once debris removal is complete, attention will shift to restoring the tree canopy.
Rinderle has said he hopes the cemetery can reopen by Thanksgiving.
The fundraiser is aimed at helping support that cleanup and recovery work.