As of Wednesday, the fundraiser page has received more than 2,600 total shares through Facebook and Twitter. It’s such a wonderful example of what a tight-knit community can do. I have never been more proud of my Bobcat family.
West Union Street suffered a devastating loss this past Sunday, as you know. Apartments and businesses were destroyed, along with many jobs, and students were displaced — many losing close to everything.
In the days since, there have been multiple funding campaigns launched online and an outpouring of love and support. One fundraiser in particular on GoFundMe.com, started by Pete Shooner under the title “Union Street Fire: Employee Relief,” and has raised over $33,000 of its $40,000 goal in just two days. And from the looks of it, that goal has been raised at least twice — the last occurring yesterday when they raised the goal from $20,000 to $40,000.
The description on the page highlights the tragedy, stating that some businesses were reporting near-complete losses, while others would need to be shut down for a considerable amount of time to repair extensive smoke and water damage. Shooner’s goal is simple: “To raise as much money as possible to help the employees of these businesses mitigate their lost wages while repairs are made.”
As of Wednesday, the fundraiser page has received more than 2,600 total shares through Facebook and Twitter. Large donations have been made from various institutions, such as the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, Ohio Brew Week Board of Directors and Bagel Street Deli, among others. But those are just a few of the 644 total donations.
I find this absolutely remarkable. It’s such a wonderful example of what a tight-knit community can do. I have never been more proud of my Bobcat family.
A few of my friends live dangerously close to where the fire occurred, and while their apartment was not affected by the blaze, they received a fair share of love and support. They posted on Facebook thanking the school for the help and support and the students for all their generous donations.
My heart goes out to all affected by the fire.
If you wish to help, you can still donate financially, however Baker Center is no longer accepting clothes because of the large influx of donations. Keep the good going, Bobcats.
Olivia Hupp is a senior studying English literature and creative writing. Email her at oh994610@ohio.edu
