Tenacious D’s: Fundraiser to Assist Victims of Fire at 918 Willow / D’s Soul Full Cafe

Posted on February 6, 2015 in Events, hNOW

A lot of people see New Year’s Day as a chance to start over. For the residents of 918 Willow Street, they didn’t really have much of a choice.

“As soon as there was smoke, the building superintendent’s wife moved fast to hit the alarm,” says Stephen Bailey, owner of D’s Soul Full Café.

The Hoboken Fire Department, along with units from the Hoboken Police, Office of Emergency Management and the Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps all responded to the ensuing three-alarm fire, which began in an upstairs apartment.

“We were lucky it was 4:30 in the afternoon on a holiday,” said Bailey. “People were home, awake and we could all get out.”

By the time the blaze was put down, three firemen had been injured, eight families were homeless, and D’s Soul Full Café was closed—indefinitely.

D’s has become a vital asset to the local arts and music scene. Its presence here in town goes beyond that of simply another café, and the impact of this fire was soon made evident.

“I want to point out how great the community has been,” says Bailey. “Right away I was getting phone calls from Joe Berg at The Ale House to see if I needed to use his storage, Peter Carr at Maxwell’s was asking if I needed to use his kitchen, Tyrone Green from Dark Side of the Moo offered to help—so many others.”

“It says a lot about the position we have here in the community, and we’re so grateful,” says Bailey. “We want to come back just for that.”

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In an effort to help D’s and all the residents of 918 Willow Ave get back on their feet, hMAG’s February hMIXER will be a fundraiser, held at the Elks Lodge (1005 Washington Street) on Thursday, February 26 from 7-11 p.m.

Theresa Minutillo, working in conjunction with the Hoboken Rotary Club, is organizing the effort to assist the families displaced by the fire.

Suggested donation for the event is $50, which includes OPEN BAR and LIVE MUSIC, featuring:
-DAVE CALAMONERI

(Many thanks to Dave Entwistle and Chris “Gibby” Gibson for coordinating the music)

Our good friends at DARK SIDE OF THE MOO will also be on hand to make sure no one goes hungry…

Many thanks to Dan Voehringer from RE/MAX Gold Coast Realty for their generous donation!!!

To purchase tickets in advance, or anyone unable to attend but still looking to donate, please CLICK HERE.