Ocean Beach is a melting pot of personalities representing a unique mix of residents that have one thing in common – their support of the mom-and-pop shops, that make the community a special place to call home.
After a fire damaged Lighthouse Ice Cream, the community quickly rallied to the aid of the local landmark.
“We lost every single thing in our shop,” said owner Carol Ladiges. “The smoke from the fire did the most damage. Everything had to be dried out because of the water damage from the fire hoses.
“Insurance will cover most of the structural damage, employees’ wages, and some of the personal property. There will be out-of-pocket expenses as things pop up.”
Never one to ask for help, but always the first to offer it, Ladiges had mixed emotions about what came next.
“My manager’s son started a GoFundMe page (gofundme.com/f/37hhhnhk7c) in December. At first, I felt conflicted about asking people for help, but there were so many people in the community who kept asking if they could help and if we had a GoFundMe page. They just wanted to contribute something. Ocean Beach is that kind of community. They just wanted to give back,” Ladiges said.
“I was here when the fire started,” said Jesus Beregrino, manager of O.B. Smoothie & Sub Express. “The Lighthouse is a big part of our history and we want to support their efforts to rebuild it again.”
“The Lighthouse is one of those unique shops that leaves people with charming memories of Ocean Beach and that’s one reason why we are happy to support them,” said Greg Hildebrand, owner of Cow Records.
“My heart goes out to Carol and her employees and we will be here to help any way we can,” said Bill DeWitt, owner of California Wild Ales
The next step for Ladiges is to wait for the city to issue the necessary permits that will allow her to begin construction on her new ice cream shop. Eager to reopen as soon as possible, the most laborious task for her may yet to be endured.
For those who want to support the Lighthouse rebuilding fund, visit gofundme.com/f/37hhhnhk7c.
