WAUPUN — The Forest Mound Cemetery Association held a meat raffle fundraiser at The Other Bar Sunday afternoon, collecting a total of $1,260 towards various projects.
The funds will go towards improving conditions at the Cemetery, and cleaning up debris from storms over the last few years.
“I was contacted by Mayor Bishop who was working with Andy on who was going to be the recipient for today’s meat raffle, and we were very happy that we were selected for it,” Cemetery Association president Steve Buchholz said.
“We had a particularly tough year with a number of trees being blown down and there’s even some trees left over from last year we had to get taken out that were in precarious positions, and get their stumps out so that the cemetery stays looking sharp as we want it to be,” he said.
While the Forest Mound Cemetery is not City property, the two organizations have a close working relationship—including having an office at City Hall. The Cemetery Association brought these matters to the City Council back in January, requesting assistance from the City to help maintain the property.
“The big item that we have is the roadways and the city also helps us out tremendously with gravel screenings, but we really want to get it back to blacktop like we used to have,” Buchholz said. “But the mayor is committed to finding some better ways for funding that and we are too so hopefully we can in the future.”
This isn’t the first project the Cemetery Association has been fundraising for. Last year Mike Werner donated $52,000 to replace the road between Shaler Park and Forest Mound Cemetery through the Waupun Community Fund, and the Association hopes to repair more of the roads throughout the cemetery.
They’ve also been looking into fundraising for repairing damaged headstones throughout the cemetery, including the ones belonging to the grandparents of President Warren G. Harding. These particular headstones have been a major project the Mayor has been pushing for as well.
“We’re very thankful for a community that has efforts like this and a city that supports us out at the cemetery,” Buchholz added. “I appreciate our cemetery workers who really are extraordinary each year and in the work that they do to keep the cemetery looking well.”
The meat raffle was well attended, and had several rounds where the numbered sticks were sold out. Members of the Cemetery Association Wally Riel and Rick Van Hoff, and Mayor of Waupun Rohn Bishop were in attendance.
The Other Bar regularly hosts meat raffle events for local organizations. Last year, they held a fundraiser for the Waupun Historical Society.
