An afternoon of history, remembrance, and community action benefiting the restoration of Pine Forest Cemetery.
Sunday, November 8, 2026 | 3:00 PM
The Garage at DREAMS | Wilmington, NC
General Admission $80
Join Pine Forest Education & Learning Center for an afternoon of history, remembrance, and community action. More than 300 graves are currently hidden or inaccessible because of overgrowth, fallen limbs, and unmanaged trees. Together, we can help restore access, preserve these burial sites, and honor the people and stories they represent.
The program will be emceed by Michael S. Williams, founder of The Black on Black Project, and will feature presentations by The Black on Black Project, along with heavy hors d’oeuvres and wine.
Help us bring these roots back into the light.
Pine Forest Cemetery is one of Wilmington’s oldest and most historically significant burial grounds. It is the final resting place of generations of residents, including people and families connected to defining moments in Wilmington’s history.
Today, more than 300 graves are hidden or inaccessible because of overgrowth, fallen limbs, unmanaged trees, and invasive vegetation.
These are not forgotten people. They are someone’s ancestors, family members, and part of the history of this community.
Roots & Remembrance: Restoration brings us together to help change that.
The afternoon will be emceed by Michael S. Williams, founder of The Black on Black Project, and will feature presentations exploring history, memory, preservation, and the importance of protecting the stories and places that connect us to the past.
Guests will enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and wine while learning more about Pine Forest Cemetery, the people interred there, and the restoration effort underway.
The first $25,000 will support critical restoration work. Additional funds will help ensure restored areas remain accessible for families, historians, researchers, caretakers, and future generations.
Funds raised will help support:
This is more than landscaping. It is about dignity, preservation, remembrance, and ensuring that these lives and stories remain visible.
Your ticket includes admission to Roots & Remembrance: Restoration, presentations by The Black on Black Project, and an afternoon of conversation, remembrance, and community engagement.
Guests will enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and wine while learning about Pine Forest Cemetery and the restoration work needed to make more than 300 currently hidden or inaccessible graves visible again.
Sunday, November 8, 2026 | 3:00 PM
The Garage at DREAMS | Wilmington, NC
Corporate, organizational, and individual sponsorships support both the event and the larger effort to preserve Pine Forest Cemetery.
By sponsoring Roots & Remembrance: Restoration, you are helping preserve a historic place, restore access to hundreds of burial sites, and ensure that the people and stories represented at Pine Forest Cemetery remain part of Wilmington’s living history.
Pine Forest Education & Learning Center is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 99-2874984. Sponsorships are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
You do not have to attend the event to be part of this work. Every donation helps PFELC address the overgrowth, fallen trees, debris, and other conditions that have left more than 300 graves hidden or inaccessible at Pine Forest Cemetery.
Whether you give $25, $100, $500, or another amount, your contribution helps preserve a place that holds generations of Wilmington history.
Help contribute to the supplies and resources needed for restoration work.
Support clearing and cleanup efforts around burial areas and pathways.
Help provide equipment, safety resources, and other essential restoration needs.
Make a meaningful contribution toward the skilled work required to restore access to affected areas.
Help advance larger-scale restoration and long-term preservation efforts.
Provide significant support toward restoring and maintaining historically important areas of Pine Forest Cemetery.
Every donation, regardless of amount, moves the restoration forward.
Pine Forest Education & Learning Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to education, cultural preservation, and community engagement through historical research and storytelling.
