Every once in a while, you come across a person who is willing to put the community ahead of all things. They do this day in and day out.

George Nixon is such a person. He has volunteered to help correct the overgrowth at Evergreen Cemetery. He has worked tirelessly since March 2016, helping to clear about 18 of approximately 60 acres.

Mr. Nixon works alongside about eight other permanent volunteers who have put their time and equipment into ensuring that the families of people interred in Evergreen Cemetery can visit their relatives’ gravesites. He has no family buried in the cemetery, but he works to correct the ills of abandonment over the years.

Many groups have tried for years to clean up Evergreen, but for whatever the reason, they quit.

I can say with certainty that there is no understanding of the word “quit” by Mr. Nixon. He goes on and on, even if he has to work alone. This is why I have labeled him “Iron Man.”

He also has recruited other volunteers to work alongside him in his goal of completely restoring this historic African-American cemetery. 

I asked myself two years ago how many people I knew would work this hard only for the community and no personal gain. I could only think of a few people, and they are still working in Evergreen today.

If I had about 100 more volunteers like George Nixon, we would be able to make short work of the massive job of cleaning up Evergreen Cemetery.

MARVIN HARRIS

North Chesterfield

The writer is executive director of the Evergreen Restoration Foundation.