Saturday, April 11, 2015

Mayor's Fund raises $125,000 in response to East Village gas explosion


[Photo yesterday by Vinny & O]

News release via the EVG inbox yesterday…

The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City today announced that $125,000 has been raised to date to support individuals and families directly affected by the Second Avenue explosion and building collapse on March 26.

The Mayor’s Fund launched a fundraising campaign on March 27 to coordinate direct financial support for those impacted by the tragedy. So far, the Mayor’s Fund has received over 350 contributions from everyday New Yorkers, totaling more than $50,000 – the majority of which were donated by individuals contributing amounts ranging from $5 to $15,000.

The total of $125,000 in pledges also includes support from corporate partners, including Con Edison, Gramercy Theatre and Irving Plaza, and Google. In response to New York City Google employees’ interest in helping those affected, Google launched a Disaster Relief Campaign that will run through the end of April. To date, Google employees and Google’s matching funds have raised over $25,000. In addition, local concert venues Irving Plaza and Gramercy Theatre will be offering patrons the option of donating to the Mayor’s Fund when purchasing tickets during the month of April. Live Nation Entertainment, the parent company of these venues, has committed to matching the donations collected up to $10,000.

“It is truly characteristic of our city to join together in the face of adversity, and to show compassion and love to our fellow New Yorkers when they need it most – and these combined efforts of everyday New Yorkers and community and corporate partners are no exception,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Whether they are giving a little or giving a lot, the people of this city clearly have each other’s backs. The donations we’ve seen in recent days prove yet again that a tragedy that affects some New Yorkers touches us all.”

Read the full news release here.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope they're distributing this money quickly.

Anonymous said...

nice!

blue glass said...

it is heartening to see the quick response of nyc residents and businesses.
and yes anon 1:31, distribute the funds to folks ASAP -
and hope that "they" don't take any of these funds for administrative costs.

Anonymous said...

@blue glass: If you look at the Mayor's Fund website, it states that NONE of the money is used for administrative purposes.

Anonymous said...

I feel a little petty saying this, but I didn't want to contribute to a fund that would have a Bill De Blasio press release attached to it. Have contributed elsewhere.

Anonymous said...

Why wouldn't realtors waive the fee for persons needing a place to live. Do you hear me? Tower Brokerage?

Anonymous said...

NYT did a story today about the rights of rent stabilized tenants displaced by a building being destroyed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/realestate/when-a-rental-is-destroyed.html?_r=0

Anonymous said...

@7:37pm
Not petty at all, I feel the same way.