(upbeat music) - The Friends of Salt Lake City Cemetery will hold a Memorial Day cleanup that protects this historic landmark, while reducing landfill waste.

Volunteers will sort recyclables, support green space, and strengthen community ties.

Dave Alderman is here to tell us more.

Welcome, Dave.

- Thank you for having me.

- So, tell me about this event that's happening around Memorial Day.

- Right.

So, every year, thousands of people come to the cemetery to, you know, pay their respects to loved ones and family members, and they leave behind mementos, all kinds of flowers, little whirly gigs, stuffed animals, bottles, all kinds of things get left behind.

And about two weeks later, the cemetery staff would have to go clean it all up, and they don't have time to sort it.

And so, everything would go to the landfill.

And about four or five years ago, we started getting involved and organized these cleanups.

So, we go in after 10 days or so after the Memorial Day and clean up all these dead flowers and the stuff that's been left behind.

And then we sort out anything that can go be recycled.

And it's amazing how much gets recycled.

It's like a couple, three, four tons worth of stuff that goes to the recycling instead of just going to the landfill.

- Oh my gosh, you were telling me that, you know, some people they relate going to the cemetery as something somber or sad, but there is some joy or fun in doing this.

- Yeah, so the event itself, Memorial Day weekend people come to pay their respects and a lot of that is somber, but there's also a lot of people there, I think, that are kind of looking on the happy side of things.

- Celebrating life.

- Celebrating life.

Exactly.

But our cleanup is not a somber event.

I mean, we're obviously, in a cemetery, so we're respectful, but it's people coming out outdoors, they're picking up stuff and talking to people, and some of it is large groups that know each other.

Some of it may be, you know, strangers and they find out they live down the street from somebody, but it's a good event to get out and enjoy the outdoors and, you know, help the cemetery as well.

- All right.

Well, if you would like to participate or support this event and this organization, the information's on your screen.

It's the Friends of the Salt Lake City Cemetery Post-Memorial Day Clean Up on June 3rd, 4th, and 6th, having it in Salt Lake City.

Just go to friends-slc-cemetery.com for more information.

I'm Liz Adeola and thank you for watching "Contact".

(upbeat music) Philanthropy, Arts, culture.

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Hi, I'm Liz Adeola, the host of Contact, a show that connects you with local events and organizations that serve your community.

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