Just eight weeks after launching a fundraising campaign to erect an infants memorial at their local Cemetery, the Burt Cemetery Projects Committee expect to reach their target following the release of the Burt, Inch and Fahan 2012 Calendar.
Members of the Burt community came together in mid September to discuss plans to establish a permanent memorial to infants who had not been baptised and were buried in a separate plot away from the main cemetery.
A similar situation existed in many parishes throughout the country, but many have now addressed the issue. Local curate Fr Gerard Sweeney attended the inaugural meeting and was fully supportive of the initiative and it is hoped that a special ceremony will take place at the memorial when the project is completed in a few weeks time.
There was huge support locally for the project; with many families and individuals making sizeable donations, various groups in the parish also contributed including a sizeable donation from a cycle race and charity auction, while money raised from a cake sale and table quiz also exceeded all expectations.
The final fundraising event was the production of a parish calendar, made possible with the help of generous sponsorship by local businesses and this also was very well supported. The calendar itself contains some stunning views from different areas of the parish and remarkably all photographs used were by local amateur photographers.
There is certain to be a big demand for the calendar, which is available from any member of the committee, and is sure to be of great interest to those family members and friends living away from home, not to mention the many local families who will snap it up at a bargain price of just €5.
The committee have expressed a huge gratitude to all those who made the project possible and have no doubt it will be a lasting tribute to all those babies buried down the years in Burt Cemetery.
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