Devastation in Greenwood...

arrived at 1:45am on Wednesday, March 9th, when our neighborhood was rudely awakened by a huge natural gas explosion that literally leveled 3 businesses, and damaged 33 others in the heart of our business district, as well as rendering many of our neighbors homeless for a time. (and was heard for miles around, an actually recorded on a seismograph!)

But the residents and business owners did not wander around dazed for long.  Within hours after the incident, as the sun rose over this surreal scene, our wonderful neighborhood rallied behind the displaced residents, business owners, and employees to help them cope with their immediate needs, as well as their long term ones. Insurance will only go so far in compensating our community for the estimated $3,000,000 in loss the community sustained.  But before the investigation into the cause of the blast had fully begun, neighbors, local organizations and other businesses were already scheming on fundraisers, putting up a GoFundMe page to support affected people, and signing up volunteers for cleanup and remediation.

It's been truly inspiring to see.

Here at Flying Bike, the staff and Board of Directors has been in constant contact through that day, and to this day, vetting suggestions of fundraising and partnering opportunities.  We feel the strong desire to give back and support this community which has embraced us whole-heartedly, and been a large component of our success in the short time that we have been in operation.

Here's what we've come up with in the short term:

Flying Bike is turning the Friday, 3/11 Phinneywood ArtUp! into a fundraiser to support those folks most affected, and helping them rebuild their businesses and their lives.  We will be doing this through a direct donation to the PNA (who is coordinating the collection and distribution of funds) from:

• Kyle Krauskopf (the artist behind our iconic "Aviator" mural) will be donating all the funds he raises through real-time portrait sketches ($1/minute sketches) to the PNA.  Portraits get better as the night goes on...
• Ryan Thrower  and Zoe Kahn will be showing their art photography, and donating all the proceeds from the sales of their art to the cause!
• Local artists Nathan Anderson and Tess Dokus will be selling their art pieces (paintings, sketches & fine art jewelry), donating 100% of the proceeds from their sales to the fundraiser!
• Munch Cafe is donating $2.00 from every food item sold to the fundraiser!
• Kevin Forhan designed and got printed these awesome, retro-cool bumperstickers for $2 and we're donating 100% of those funds to the PNA fund as well!

(C'mon, you know you want one!)

• And Flying Bike will donate 50% of our proceeds from ALL BEER sales Friday night!  

How can you help?  Come on out and drink some beer for a great cause!   In addition, there is a whole listing of events and volunteer opportunities being coordinated by the PNA that you can check out here.

There is no question that the neighborhood will rebuild, and recover fully from this terrible event.  And every single business and a whole passel of residents and neighbors will be lending a hand, and donating time and resources.  And that's what makes Greenwood great!

See you around the 'hood.  And remember: #itsstillgreenwood!              Latest Fundraising Updates can be found  here on the PNA site.