This past Thursday, over 150 Hobokenites came out to the Elks Club to watch six local bands perform, eat food catered by Dark Side of the Moo, and support the eight families and one business who remain displaced after a January fire at 918 Willow Ave. The event raised over $10,000, which will be split equally among the nine parties.
On New Year’s Day, an electrical fire broke out in the apartment above D’s Soul Full Café, causing extensive water and smoke damage throughout the building. The families in the building lost all their possessions and remain in temporary housing.
Sheera Glass, one of the displaced residents, said her family’s portion of the money raised Thursday will go towards day-to-day expenses like food and rent until they are able to return to their old apartment. Glass said she could not thank her fellow Hobokenites enough for the outpouring of support they had shown her.
Along with her husband Mark and daughter Samantha, Glass is currently living in her second furnished sublet in Jersey City since the fire, and will be moving into a third sublet this week after the rent on her current temporary residence was raised from $3,000 to $4,000.
Glass said she hoped to be back home in the beginning of June, depending on the results of a city inspection of the building.
The fundraiser was organized by the Hoboken Rotary Club and hMag, and featured performances by Dave Calamoneri, Debby Schwartz, Las Vandelays, The Fave, Allison Strong, and Karyn Kuhl.
ReMax Gold Coast Realty donated $1,000, BCB Community Bank chipped in another $300, and Dromedary Records donating a portion of all their sales from the weeks leading up to the show.
Anyone who wants to support the families displaced from 918 Willow but was unable to attend the Thursday fundraiser can still donate online here.
Carlo Davis may be reached at cdavis@hudsonreporter.com.
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