By Kathy L. Collins
The GFWC Ruskin Woman’s Club will hold its Ruskin Cemetery Fall Clean Up on Saturday, November 22 from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. It invites the community to help with raking, tree and limb trimming, and trash pickup. Community service hours are available for students. Everyone interested in helping should bring gloves and yard equipment such as rakes, saws and pruning shears.
The cemetery is located on the south end of 1st Street S.W. and Manatee Dr. in Ruskin. Taking care of the Ruskin Cemetery is one of the main projects taken on by the GFWC Ruskin Woman’s Club.
Debbie Bonebrake, co-chair of the Ruskin Cemetery Preservation Committee, said, “This is your family’s cemetery. This is the opportunity to become active with neighbors and friends to keep this beautiful park in good condition. The maintenance continues year round with little to no funds for it. With a little help from residents, this cemetery will continue to be the historical jewel for many generations it will serve.”
The Ruskin Cemetery was bestowed to the Ruskin community over 100 years ago. Over the years, hundreds of volunteers have kept the grounds maintained in honor of their loved ones buried there.
Bonebrake added, “Many residents do not realize the cemetery is here. With the efforts of the volunteers, the park has been restored to an item of pride for the entire community. A fund for perpetual care has been set up and contributions can be made through the Ruskin Woman’s Club. This can be made as a single donation, or recurring donations and even through estate planning and life insurance.”
The GFWC Ruskin Woman’s Club (RWC) is a member of the GFWC Florida Federation of Woman’s Clubs (GFWC Florida) and the General Federation of Woman’s Clubs (GFWC), one of the largest and oldest woman’s volunteer organizations in the world. The mission of the club is to maximize the potential of the community by ensuring the continued development of educational, cultural and social opportunities through the service and resources of its members.
For more information, contact Bonebrake at 892-7235 or Deb Adams at 649-0400. For more information on the GFWC Ruskin Woman’s Club, visit www.theruskinwomansclub.org.
