LM Restaurants, in partnership with the Wrightsville Beach Foundation, will host a fundraising event 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the parking lot of Bluewater Grill in Wrightsville Beach.

The event will benefit the Wrightsville Beach town employees affected by Hurricane Florence and serve as a way to thank them for their service during the storm. 

“We are proud to be partnering with the Wrightsville Beach Foundation and the Wrightsville Beach Volunteer Fire Department on this community event,” said Marianne Stokes, LM marketing manager. “This is a way of saying thank you to our town workers and first responders on the impact they made in the community before, during and after Hurricane Florence.

"We have several restaurants in Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach that were impacted during the storm and grateful for the preparedness and the ongoing communication by the town of Wrightsville Beach. This was instrumental to our business and employees.”

Food will be provided by Bluewater Waterfront Grill, Oceanic Restaurant, Hops Supply Co., Henry’s Restaurant and Bar and Carolina Ale House, and local breweries, including the Mad Mole and Wrightsville Beach Brewery, will be on hand to provide samples of their fall brews. There will also be live music and raffle items on display.

Admission is free but a suggested donation of $25 or more is appreciated, and sponsorships are available.

The Wrightsville Beach Foundation and the Wrightsville Beach Volunteer Fire Department are working to establish a Town of Wrightsville Beach Assistance Fund. 100 percent of the proceeds will go towards the current needs of town employees, establishing a fund for future town employee emergency assistance, and first responder equipment and supplies not included in the town budget.

John Golder, president of the Wrightsville Beach Volunteer Fire Department, and Jim Smith, president of the Wrightsville Beach Foundation, said the town staff worked long hours preparing the island for what was initially thought to be a Category 4 hurricane. During the storm, first responders checked the residents who remained on the island, while the town staff held numerous press conferences and videoed homes street by street, posting them on Facebook to update homeowners. Before the gates opened to residents, public works crews had already completed a significant amount of clean-up.

Golder and Smith said that one town employee is still displaced after the employee's entire house flooded, resulting in the loss of most of the home’s contents. Additionally, several other employees sustained flood damage, roof and siding damage, and damage from falling trees, including the loss of an HVAC unit. 
    
A committee will be established by the WBVFD to assess these needs and allocate employee assistance in accordance the North Carolina Firefighters Relief Fund.

For more information or to make a donation, visit the Wrightsville Beach Foundation's website.

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