Fort Atkinson, WI– PremierBank announced that they will match donations from community members who wish to help with the Evergreen Cemetery Clean-up effort.

The historic cemetery was severely impacted by the storm last Friday evening with close to 70 trees damaged or felled by sustained winds that may have reached 80 miles per hour, according to some reports. By Saturday morning, cemetery personnel arrived to find destruction throughout the property. Many community members described the site as a war zone. The cemetery was filled with many healthy stately trees that were centuries old, and most of the damage occurred in the oldest section of the cemetery.

Cemetery staff members are requesting help from the community in the form of both volunteers to help pick up branches, rake, and gather grave decorations that are scattered throughout. Volunteers who wish to help have been asked to check in at the office located at the northwest top of the hill. Those coming to help should bring gloves and rakes and are needed between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays until the small debris is all picked up.

Financial donations are also desperately needed to take care of hauling away the large debris, cut down branches and trees, and to pay for new trees to replace the ones that have been destroyed.

PremierBank will match all donations from community members dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000. If $5,000 is donated, with the bank’s $5,000 match, the total then would be $10,000 to help fund this community effort.

“The Evergreen Cemetery is a sacred place in the Fort Atkinson community and has most likely never been hit by such a powerful weather event that impacted us all last Friday night. As a community bank established in 1863, the same year as the Evergreen Cemetery’s founding, we are grateful to be in the position to financially help with restoration efforts of this very special place,” said Russ Turk, PremierBank’s Chairman, President, and CEO.

Those who wish to donate and take advantage of PremierBank’s dollar-for-dollar match, can drop their donation off at any PremierBank location with a check written out to Evergreen Cemetery and “donation” written in the memo line. Checks can also be mailed to Evergreen Cemetery, c/o PremierBank P.O. Box 218, Fort Atkinson, WI, 53538.

Community members with questions about donations can call Community Relations Officer Rochelle Mitchell at 920-542-1141 rather than the cemetery office.

About PremierBank
PremierBank was established 160 years ago in 1863 and remains a locally owned community bank that prides itself on building strong partnerships with the businesses and residents in Jefferson, Rock, and Walworth counties. PremierBank is committed to serving its customers with personalized service and convenient financial products as a trusted financial partner. With $551 million in assets, PremierBank has nine convenient office locations in Fort Atkinson, Janesville, Jefferson, Johnson Creek, Sullivan, and Whitewater, including a full-service Wealth Management division. For more information, visit www.bankwithpremier.com.