However the New York Times caught up with Brandon and featured him in a short video, surveying the damage to his bar. It’s since gone viral online. So many were moved by Brandon’s final words, saying, “I had a dream come true and it lasted 32 days.
And then a friend of Brandon and Davie’s launched a GoFundMe. “Our community faces a long uphill road to recovery, and there are so many people who need assistance. Part of what makes this community so vibrant and wonderful are the small businesses that provide us with unique and fun places to come together. And if you know Brandon and Davie, you know how much of their heart and soul went into creating their bar and coffee shop, DayTrip which just opened a little over a month ago,” states the fundraiser.
It went on to say that the fundraiser besides covering their business loans and rebuilding, Brandon and Davie want to continue to offer some assistance to their employees.
After the New York Times story, donations poured in and as we write this $188,000 of the $180,000 target has been reached. True, not every single cent of the money will be from the gay community BUT we are so proud of the fact that in this culture, we have a sense of camaraderie and pride to want to help two of our own
Brandon writes “We cannot tell you in words how grateful we are for the kindness you are showing us. Their is a light at the end of the tunnel for Daytrip, and we will rebuild. We will come back stronger. And we are eternally thankful for all of your support.
You can contribute to the GoFundme HERE or there are other ways you can help others stricken by this disaster HERE. The true cost of Helene remains to be calculated. Besides wrecking homes and businesses, at least 135 people are known to have been killed across six states. Many others remain unaccounted for and the death toll is likely to rise.
Labels: 2024, Asheville, Day Trip Bar, Gofundme, Hurricane Helene
