By Ashley Pavlakis
Main Street is the heart of every town, people frequent Main Street to dine, shop, and enjoy the outdoors. That changed for Sayville residents on October 25, when a fire broke out at the former location of Cafe Joelle and spread to multiple businesses in the vicinity. The small businesses that were affected now have to start over and rebuild.
The fire was said to have occurred around 5:30 that Friday. The businesses that were affected were the vacant Cafe Joelle building that is under construction, Paper Doll Vintage Boutique, Boris Barber Shop, Running Company, Hammer and Shin, Crushed Olive, and the Counseling Office of Adrian Fields and Associates.
The Sayville Chamber of Commerce got to work immediately, posting a link to a relief fund that has accumulated over $90,000 toward its $150,000 goal. 100% of the proceeds will go directly toward helping those who were affected.
The community came together again, this time for a fundraiser held at Cafe Joelle’s on Thursday evening. The event sold all their tickets, people who purchased a ticket for $100 were treated to drinks, food, live music, and raffles. The line to get into the building was out the door and almost into the street. The Sayville community showed up for their beloved main street businesses.
A wide assortment of baskets were put together by the local community to be raffled off. An estimated 126 baskets were on display for people to win. Guests could purchase two types of tickets, blue for regular baskets, and orange for higher-end baskets. The items within the baskets ranged from non-perishables and clothing to golf apparel and bicycles. No matter what the baskets contained, it was for a good cause.
Sayville Native, Melissa Joan Hart, widely known for her role as Sabrina Spelling in Sabrina the Teenage Witch, took to social media [Instagram] to show support for the town she grew up in.
“The town I grew up in, Sayville, New York, had a devastating fire yesterday [25th] and many small businesses suffered big losses. I’m donating to the Chamber of Commerce to help them get back on their feet, hopefully in time for the busy holiday season,” said Hart.
The Chamber of Commerce held a Main Street Fire Relief Fund on Wednesday night, with the same offerings of food, raffles, and music. Entry to the event was made by way of a donation. The buffet on hand was donated by Wayward Kitchen & Cocktails.
Main Street in Sayville was built in 1927 with Sayville being founded in 1738 by John Edwards. Main Street provides a close-knit feeling amongst town residents as the small businesses have their regular frequent shoppers. Without a main street in town, there is no feeling of home. Sayville is on the road to recovery after its main street suffered a tragedy. With the help of the Chamber of Commerce and the town citizens, they’ll overcome it and restore life to those small businesses.
