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It was after midnight on Monday, May 15 when the exterior of the bar, 2537 East Ontario St., suddenly caught fire, said neighbor Lexi Ellis.
Firefighters were on the scene within seconds and were able to keep the flames from spreading to other buildings, but the bar is now in need of serious repairs, according to Ellis.
"While the fire could have been much, much worse, there is substantial fire damage to the outside of the bar, as well as smoke and water damage on the interior," she wrote.
Since then, Ellis has taken to GoFundMe to help owner Everett Cook raise the money needed to get the bar back up and running. As of Wednesday, May 17, she's raised over $1,000 of her $10,000 goal.
"The bar is insured, which should cover most of the repairs, and this money is going towards the deductible," she explains on GoFundMe.
As an "enthusiastic patron" of the Shipyard for two years, Ellis described owner Cook as a "generous and hardworking" pillar of her Port Richmond community.
"(He) has spent so much time and energy over the past couple of years making the Shipyard a welcoming, fun, and enjoyable place to crack open a cold one after a long day of work, cheer on Philly sports teams with friends, play games, sing, and find community," she wrote.
"He's given so much to us all, and it's time for us to share the love right back."
Click here to support the Shipyard Bar recovery effort on GoFundMe.com.
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