HOUSTON – A New Orleans native who owns an oyster restaurant on the southwest side is holding a fundraiser, intended to support families of the victims of the New Year’s Day terrorist attack on Bourbon Street.
14 people were killed and dozens others injured after a man identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a truck through the crowd.
The fundraising effort is happening at the Tiger 2 Step Oyster King restaurant on Richmond Avenue and Fountainview.
Owner, Royal Bellock, just got back from New Orleans Thursday and showed Deven Clarke how he and his staff are now using their native cuisine to inspire Houstonians to lend a helping hand.
“Even though we not there right now, we back and forth and we still in Houston, but we still from New Orleans and that’s where our heart at,” Bellock said. “We had just made it home (to New Orleans) from Houston, it was on the news.”
“Man that took all the air out me, it’s sad to bring the new year in like that, you know what I’m saying?” said Chef Derris Helton. “All them innocent people out there, know what I’m saying, just a terrible situation man.”
“A lot of us people that live in Houston have family members in New Orleans so we know what tragedy feels like,” said activist Candice Matthews. “We know what it means to bind together when it comes to a time of need.”
“We want to be real supportive,” said co-owner Jackquel Johnson. “Until Sunday, January 5th at 7 p.m., each oyster sale, we’re going to take a percentage of that and donate that to the GoFundMe that we have open for them.”
The main idea for the fundraiser is to raise money for the victims families, but also to raise awareness about the tragic incident that happened and the spirit of New Orleans. One that natives say is resilient and can never be defeated.
“We done been through Katrina, we done been through Gustav, we done been through everything man. Like they can’t beat us down man we gonna keep going no matter what,” Bellock said.
