Hampton community raises $34K in three days to help Cinnamon Rainbows surf shop after fire
HAMPTON — Dave Cropper said it isn’t easy to ask for help, so he was touched when an online fundraising page raised more than $30,000 for his Cinnamon Rainbows Surf Co., damaged in a fire.
The shop, which has been at the corner of High Street and Ocean Boulevard in North Beach for more than 30 years, saw bad smoke damage in a fire early morning Aug. 19.
The GoFundMe page, posted last week by surfer Ralph Fatello, raised $34,905 to help the surf shop through 129 different donations.
“It’s moving to know how much the shop means to so many people,” Cropper said Wednesday. “It’s going to make our transition easier to get back to where we need to be.”
The fire struck shortly after midnight the morning it took place, badly burning two other businesses in the North Beach plaza — Secret Spot and North Beach Bar and Grille — and causing smoke to fill Cinnamon Rainbows. The surf shop, a hub for surfers in the region, has continued to sell inventory from the sidewalk under their tents as Cropper says they wait for more solutions.
Previous story: Cinnamon Rainbows, North Beach Bar and Secret Spot 'in limbo’ after devastating fire
Fatello, a local Vietnam War veteran and longtime member of the surf community, said he has known Cropper since Cropper was about 13.
“I’ve watched it all happen. I watched him be that little red-headed grom that turned into a surfer,” Fatello said.
Fatello admires events like Surfing with Smiles and the Wounded Warrior Project’s Hit the Beach that Cinnamon Rainbows assists with each summer that helps veterans and people with disabilities to get in the water on a board. He said when he learned Cropper and his family would not be able open the shop due to the fire, he wanted to help.
30 years at North Beach: Cinnamon Rainbows a 'hub’ for surfers
Fatello said the surf community is tight-knit, and he is not surprised so many were willing to give.
“When times are tough, they dig deep in their pockets to donate,” Fatello said.
Business owners from the plaza at North Beach have said they are in limbo waiting for insurance companies to finish their work and for the building’s owners to make a decision on what to do next. Each owner has said they hope to remain at the spot.
The owners have also said they appreciate the outreach from community members. A GoFundMe page raised $2,893 to be dispersed to each of the three owners.
“I wanted to support the workers who lost their seasonal jobs due to something outside of their control,” said Danny Kilgore, who started the page.
Cropper called his situation a “waiting game.” He said a temporary location could be in the works, but that a lot is still up in the air. In the meantime, Cropper’s team is preparing for a "smoke sale" of clothing this Friday and Saturday. They still have boards and wet suits to sell, and the fall waves are still on their way to North Beach in the coming weeks.
“Hopefully everybody will be able to get in the water and get some waves,” Cropper said. “Ralph always says, ‘Surfing heals all wounds.'"
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Cinnamon Rainbows surf shop in Hampton gets $34,000 in help after fire
