BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Allentown Association hosted a remembrance on Friday to raise money for displaced employees of The Old Pink.
26 Shirts was at the event, selling shirts in honor of the iconic bar.
"We have a donation component and our donations are going to the staff and everybody who used to work at The Old Pink," said Jenine Nowakowski of 26 Shirts. "So it's really nice to feel that we're helping out."
City officials believe the fire that destroyed The Old Pink in Buffalo's Allentown neighborhood was intentionally set.
One community member said The Old Pink was vital to Allentown's identity.
"Everyone kind of found themselves here," said Alex Morrison. "There were problems, but there was also a lot of joy. There was really nothing else like it."
Eric Van Rysdam has been a DJ at the bar since 1990. He said his job would never be the same.
"It was a great community of people from all walks of life who came to our door just all blended together," he said. "I'll miss working there. But I'll miss the people that I dealt with every night and who would come up and talk to me."
Other attendees said what’s left of the bar is now a hole in the neighborhood.
"It's nice that the Allentown Association is doing something now after things have settled and people are looking for jobs and will need the money," says community member Courtney Rosiek.
Robby Takac from the Goo Goo Dolls shares his memories from The Old Pink.
