73 Holley Interact students clean headstones at Hillside Cemetery

Provided photos

CLARENDON – A group of 73 students in the Holley Rotary Interact Club spent part of today cleaning headstones at Hillside Cemetery.

The cleaning will help keep the headstones clear of dirt and moss or lichens for several years. This is one of the service projects done each year by the Interact members who are led by advisor Samantha Zelent.

The students were up early today and worked in some chilly weather with some guidance from Melissa Ierlan, the Clarendon’s town historian and a former member of the Holley Board of Education.

“This is such a meaningful event not only to teach our younger generations how to give back to the community they live in but to honor the generations of local residents who have been buried in the cemetery since 1866,” Ierlan said.

Donuts from Paula’s have become a tradition were supplied by Alex Lane, a member of the Holley Rotary Club. Dr. Dan Schiavone, a dentist in Holley, was a big giver towards the cleaning supplies, and Zelent was able to round up other donations towards the project.

“It is so amazing to me the attitude the young people of our school district towards doing community service,” Ierlan said. “They do it with ease and are so sincere in their efforts to give back. The staff, parents and local residents who came out today did a lot of work. It is so rewarding to see the before and after results of this event.”