Organizers seek 150 to 200 people for a Sept. 12 service project at
Hillside Cemetery; jobs available for every age and ability.

Organizers are asking for 150 to 200 volunteers to spend the morning of Saturday, Sept. 12, restoring Hillside Cemetery, the oldest established cemetery in Reno, as part of a 9/11 Day of Service marking the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

The work runs from 9 a.m. to noon at Hillside Cemetery, 900 Nevada St., in downtown Reno. It is open to anyone who wants to help. A picnic follows at Whitaker Park, 550 University Terrace, and is open to all who take part. Volunteers are asked to bring a chair or blanket.

Jobs are organized by ability so families, youth, and older volunteers can all find something to do:

• Light: painting rocks red, white and blue, painting wreath stakes and pallets

• Medium: setting temporary grave markers, hauling debris to the dumpsters, raking and leveling walkways

• Medium to hard: trimming trees and bushes, grinding stumps, lining and rocking grave plots.

The Reno Nevada and Sparks West stakes of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints are organizing the project in partnership with the Hillside Cemetery Preservation Foundation, the volunteer group working to reclaim the grounds. The invitation has also gone out through the Nevada Interfaith Association, and the project is listed on JustServe.org.

Established in 1875 and first known as the Reno Cemetery, Hillside sits on a hillside overlooking downtown. It has gone without consistent care since 1905 and has suffered decades of neglect and vandalism. A few families have maintained their own plots, but the foundation says restoring the grounds will take years and far more community help.

To volunteer: sign up on JustServe.org at https://tinyurl.com/fs8k55r4
Volunteers may also simply show up at 900 Nevada St. at 9 a.m. on Sept. 12.

WHAT: 9/11 Day of Service cemetery cleanup and restoration

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.; picnic to follow

WHERE: Hillside Cemetery, 900 Nevada St., Reno; picnic at Whitaker Park, 550 University Terrace

For more information about Hillside Cemetery Preservation Foundation:
https://hcpfoundation.squarespace.com/