Parkside Lounge fundraiser brings in more than $5K for LES Ready!

On Wednesday night, the Parkside Lounge hosted a fundraiser to help residents rebuild their lives after the deadly explosion on Second Avenue on March 26. EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the bar on East Houston and Attorney...

At last count, more than $5,000 was raised, all of which goes directly to the people who were affected by the disaster on Second Avenue. All the proceeds will go to LES Ready!, which can disperse funds directly to those involved and in need.

Event organizer and host Jen Shih said 95 percent of the donations (which were plentiful) for the raffle were from within a 1-mile radius of Parkside Lounge.




[DJ Mouthlove and Jen Shih]

Damaris Reyes, executive director of GOLES and LES Ready! board member was there with fellow GOLES manager and LES Ready member Carlina Rivera.


[Damaris Reyes and event co-host Frank Stewart]

Reyes and Rivera talked about how the long-term recovery group organization formed after Superstorm Sandy to bring Lower Manhattan emergency response preparedness teams together. More than 30 organizations (including Henry Street Settlement, Occupy Sandy, Ryan-Nena Community Health Center, Sixth Street Community Center, Asian Americans for Equality, and Nazareth Housing) make up LES Ready!

The coalition focuses its work on preparing for and responding to emergencies in the East Village and LES as well as adjacent areas. It also works at advocating for long-term solutions for those affected by disasters such as Sandy and the East Village explosion.





Parkside Lounge owner Christopher Lee, who donated the space and drink tickets, was happy to help out. He and co-host Frank Stewart, representing Asian Americans for Equality, were both impressed and pleased with the community response and happy to know the money raised would help neighbors directly affected by the disaster.


[Christopher Lee]