Raleigh bars using St. Patrick's crowd to raise funds after fire
RALEIGH, North Carolina (WTVD) -- The rubble, ashes, debris and road closures are not keeping people from flooding into downtown Raleigh for the St. Patrick's Day celebrations.
On Thursday night, Raleigh saw one of its worst fires in decades. The very next day, bar owners are using their typically busy night to pitch in.
"You've got to do something for your neighbors," said Frank Bloom, Director of Marketing for The Hibernian in Raleigh. "We really need to do something for the fire department, just with the amazing job they did last night."
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The Hibernian on Glenwood South is hosting a block party that began at 6 p.m. and was set to run through 11 p.m., but it opened for normal hours at 11 a.m. The plan is to donate a portion of Friday's proceeds to a benefit of the Raleigh Fire Department's choosing. They haven't worked out the details yet but they hope to raise a significant amount of money since customers were lined up at 10:30 a.m. to get in.
"One of our friends contacted us and asked us to be a drop-off location for clothing donations for the folks who were displaced," said Adam Eckhardt, owner of Crank Arm Brewing Company.
One of the first to donate clothing was Mitch Sheperd. Sheperd owns Humbly Made, a clothing company in Raleigh.
"I have a lot of extra shirts from the brand, so I decided to come down and give some shirts and jackets to people affected by the fire," Sheperd said.
Zack Medford with Isaac Hunters Hospitality hosted an impromptu barbecue fundraiser at Isaac Hunters Tavern Friday night from 6 p m. to 8 p.m.
They plan to take donations of $12 a plate and a cocktail. Medford said Clyde Coopers Barbecue and The Big Easy are donating food for the event.
"Proceeds are going to go toward the Raleigh Firefighter's Association, the Fallen Heroes Fund, and the Red Cross," Medford said.
They even had a thank-you-card station. Medford said they plan to deliver those cards throughout the weekend.
