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Volunteers To Fix Vandalized Gravestones at Honolulu Church

Daniel Ramirez
/
CC BY 2.0 / Flickr

HONOLULU (AP) — Volunteers are expected to start repairing more than two dozen gravestones that were vandalized at a historic church cemetery in downtown Honolulu.

Ten volunteers from the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers will lead the work at Kawaiahao Church beginning Monday.

They'll spend several days fixing 26 of the 27 vandalized headstones. The last headstone will be fully replaced with a new headstone, in accordance with the wishes of the deceased's family.

"Our biggest concerns with the headstones and the mounting to the gravestones itself, is how they are, and how brittle they might be," Mel Silva of Local 1 told HPR.

Several local construction companies and materials suppliers are donating materials and supplies.

Kawaiahao Church Board Chairman Brickwood Galuteria says the church is grateful for the outpouring of support.

The work will include cleaning headstone surfaces, grinding away old mortar and reattaching headstones to their pedestals using epoxy.

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