A month on from August’s shocking downtown fire and reps for the Downtown Alliance have confirmed fundraising efforts have successfully hit their target. In total, the drive raised $494,000 to cover the “missing month” of income before employees could secure new work or qualify for unemployment benefits.
A presser marking the achievement detailed that “more than 1,600 individuals contributed, alongside major gifts from Matthew and Tatiana Prince, the Larry H. Miller Company, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, and the Salt Lake Chamber.”
An important point to note is that 100% of funds went directly to employees, covering rent, groceries, transportation, and other essentials in this critical first month. Indeed, hats off to The Downtown Alliance, which absorbed all administrative costs and transaction fees. At the time of press, two rounds of fund disbursement to affected employees have been completed.
“Salt Lakers show up for each other, and this response has been nothing short of extraordinary,” said Dee Brewer, executive director of the Downtown Alliance. “From five-dollar QR code donations at the Farmers Market to major philanthropic gifts, this campaign provided workers who woke up unemployed August 12, a bridge to their next opportunity.”
At the first disbursement event, the Downtown Alliance and Utah Restaurant Association hosted an employee resource fair, connecting workers to the Department of Workforce Services, the Salt Lake Tenant Resource Center, and in-kind support, including free therapy sessions, meal vouchers, and fresh food from Rico Brands and Argentina’s Best Empanadas.
“This tragedy underscored the resilience and generosity of Salt Lake City,” said Dee Brewer, Executive Director of the Downtown Alliance. “Neighbors supported neighbors and turned heartbreak into hope. While the fund has now closed, our work isn’t done — we remain committed to helping property owners and business owners rebuild this block and restore its vibrancy.”
All eyes now turn to the reconstruction efforts, and of course, those neighboring businesses that were lucky enough to survive the maelstrom. Here’s a reminder once more to be sure to support those that remain: Felt, Aker, Cheers 2 You, Bodega / The Rest.
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Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC. I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.
I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV. Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.
Want to know more? This is why I am the way I am.
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