Volunteers clean up Louisville cemetery home to several Black military veterans

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Norton Healthcare teamed up with the National Association of Black Veterans to pay respect to those laid to rest in west Louisville on Saturday.

Volunteers gathered for the second year to clean up Greenwood Cemetery — near South 40th Street — where many Black veterans are buried.

Organizers said because of the cemetery's size, it's been hard for the community to maintain the facility. On Saturday, volunteers focused on clearing out areas overrun with weeds and brush.

"Last year, we took a portion of the cemetery and a lot of us kind of centered and concentrated on that area and when we started, it was very tall brush and by the time we were done for that day, we saw headstones that hadn't seen the light of day in a long time," Keith Cook, director of safety and security at Norton Women and Children's Hospital said. "And some of these headstones are from the 1800s."

Cook said anyone in the public is welcome to help, and recommends that volunteers wear old clothes, gloves and bring rakes.

The next cleanup at Greenwood cemetery is scheduled to take place on Aug. 27.