HOLLY TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Cleanup is underway in downtown Holly following the fire on Tuesday. Small business owners around the area are doing all they can to support their community.
H.M. LaCasse visited downtown Holly Thursday to see the aftermath of the fire for herself. She said her heart goes out to everyone, including the nearby businesses.
“The Holly Hotel has been around forever. It just like has to be totally destroyed to be rebuilt again,” LaCasse explained.
One of the nearby businesses owners is Kate White. She and her husband own Ziggy’s Ice Cream, located just across the street from where the fire burned. She described what happened that night.
“My husband and I got out here to check all the damage and we just could not believe, I think 17 fire departments were here, 150 firefighters. We heard some went home from heat exhaustion,” White explained.
So they sprang into action offering what they could: heaps of ice cream.
“Just scoop, scoop, scoop furiously. I think we went through about 20 tubs of ice cream,” White said.
She explained how everyone came together.
"Anybody that could do something was willing to do something. And that was the beautiful part of it, just to see this local, small town love one another come together to support one another,” White said.
Since the fire, that love has only multiplied.
“If people reach out to us, we are willing to do whatever we can to support this effort to rebuild,” White said.
Scott Sassack, owner of Great Harvest Bread Co. in Grand Blanc, also felt called to help.
“I just wanted a way to reach out, hopefully make things a little easier on them, not to worry so much about financial. Not that we’re doing a ton, but we’re doing anything we can to help,” Sassack said.
He explained what they’re doing.
“We’re offering right now to any of the employees or the owners of the businesses a free loaf of bread a week until the end of July. Also a sandwich every single day until the end July as well,” Sassack said.
He encouraged others to join him.
“If other businesses can step up in those areas and help relax a little bit of that stress and frustration and pain that they are going through in any way, maybe they’ll be able to put their head a little bit easier on a pillow tonight,” Sassack said.
