WICOMICO COUNTY, MD - Wicomcio Memorial Park is pivoting plans to host a trunk-or-treat in its parking lot on October 30 after backlash from families with loved ones laid to rest on the grounds.
The initial idea came from Memorial Park Family Service Counselor Melvin Grayson as a way to engage with the community and create positive associations with a visit to the cemetery.
Everstory Partners owns and operates hundreds of cemeteries, including Wicomico Memorial Park.
"We want to be a good community partner, but we want to honor all of the different ways that our community grounds could be utilized by people," Everstory People Operations and Quality Vice President Michele Stone said.
Stone told WBOC that similar events have been incredibly successful at other cemeteries, but that they are taking the feedback here in Wicomico seriously.
"If the community is against something that we're trying to do, then we've missed the mark on organizing the community event," Stone said.
Bonnie Smith has more than 30 family members buried at Wicomico Memorial Park.
"The proper use of the cemetery grounds is for bereavement," Smith said. "Why do we need to celebrate trunk or treat and the Halloween on sacred grounds where my family is buried?"
Smith was one of many family members who voiced their concerns to management at the Memorial Park office on Thursday after the event flier began circulating on Facebook.
"Melvin Grayson was on site today talking with families," Stone said. and "We would encourage anyone to stop by and chat with our folks there and share their perspectives in a respectful way."
Michelle Wheatley was also part of a group that spoke with Grayson on Thursday.
"He was very understanding, very apologetic," Wheatley said. "That he didn't realize that this would have this kind of effect."
Shannon Perdue, another community member with family interred at Wicomico Memorial Park, said a trunk or treat is not appropriate for cemetery grounds, but that Thursday's conversation was productive.
"Find out what you can do in the community to put your name on the map and talk to other people because the community people are what's going to help him," Perdue said.
Memorial Park Management told WBOC that they want to have an open dialogue with the community to plan future engagement events.
Everstory Partners said it plans to announce details for a new fall event to replace the trunk or treat within the next few days.