Eugene bar offers warming shelter during ice storm

Alan Torres and Chris Pietsch, Eugene Register-Guard
·2 min read
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Joey King joins a dozen others sheltering from the cold on the porch of Big City Gamin' in Eugene after the owners welcomed them over the weekend as temperatures dipped below freezing.
Joey King joins a dozen others sheltering from the cold on the porch of Big City Gamin' in Eugene after the owners welcomed them over the weekend as temperatures dipped below freezing.

Ownership at Big City Gamin' has turned the porch of the Eugene sports bar and arcade into a warming shelter in response to the ice storm covering the Willamette Valley.

“When this (storm) started happening, we just realized we had this deck out there, and whereas it’s not indoors, we have the infrared heaters out there and being able to be somewhere where it might be 40 or 50 degrees is better than 20 degrees,” said Brandon Whitmer, husband of Big City Gamin’s owner Brittney Whitmer, who has her own experience of being unhoused.

Nick Jones spent Sunday night at Big City Gaming.

More on Eugene's ice storm: Eugene, Lane County winter weather to continue with cold ahead of more freezing rain

“I saw a sign that said this place was available for anyone who needed to warm up,” he told the Register-Guard. “It’s been really nice. They’ve had food. They’ve opened up their business to strangers to keep people warm and that shows some humanity. I think that’s a really big thing.

Brandon estimated they served about 100 meals Monday morning and that between 50 and 70 people were sheltering on the porch early Monday afternoon.

Brandon told the Register-Guard the response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive.

Nick Jones, left, and Max Green shelter in the outdoor seating area of Big City Gamin' in Eugene after the owners welcomed them as temperatures dipped below freezing over the holiday weekend.
Nick Jones, left, and Max Green shelter in the outdoor seating area of Big City Gamin' in Eugene after the owners welcomed them as temperatures dipped below freezing over the holiday weekend.

“It's really kind of gone viral with the amount of shares on Facebook and the people talking about it,” he said.

The Whitmers are seeking donations to provide food and clothes to the people they’re sheltering. “People are just pouring out their help financially so that we can do more,” Brandon said. To donate, pay Brittney on Venmo: @Britt-whit-91

Brandon also requested that organizations seeking business partners for charitable events reach out to him and Brittney.

A frozen layer of ice obscures the bus routes on a sign at a deserted Eugene Station bus station Monday morning Jan. 15, 2024. Bus travel was suspended after an ice storm made roads dangerous.
A frozen layer of ice obscures the bus routes on a sign at a deserted Eugene Station bus station Monday morning Jan. 15, 2024. Bus travel was suspended after an ice storm made roads dangerous.

“Anybody that’s in the know on wanting to work together with us for fundraising or for Womenspace, or Toys for Tots or holiday meals, any of this stuff, we would like to be able to use our platform as much as possible to try to help those in need,” he said.

Alan Torres covers local government for the Register-Guard. He can be reached over email at atorres@registerguard.com or on X/Twitter @alanfryetorres

Chris Pietsch is the Director of Photography and Multimedia at the Register-Guard. He can be reached over email at chris.pietsch@registerguard.com, or follow him on X/Twitter @ChrisPietsch and Instagram @chrispietsch

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Eugen bar offers shelter during historic ice storm