Columbus restaurant raises funds for friend impacted by Hurricane Helene

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — Help is on the way from central Ohio for Hurricane Helene recovery relief. A local business is supporting a former Columbus restaurant owner who now lives in North Carolina with a fundraiser, but more people are being impacted by the money.

Anand Saha, the owner of Mozart’s in Clintonville, said it was important that he do all he could to reach out and support his friend Patrick McCarthy, and it was even more important to his friend that he help others.

Watch: Local restaurant raises hurricane relief funds

“Patrick is a kind and generous person, that I have ever known, and most people know of him like that,” Saha said. “We know every dollar and every dime he’s collecting; he’s putting it completely towards the needs of his friends, his as neighbors.”

McCarthy owned the Wildflower Cafe in Clintonville for more than 20 years before moving to Asheville, North Carolina in 2021. He and his family have recently been impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Helene; his friend Anand Saha knew after talking with him something had to be done.

“I contacted him and I said, like, ‘Hey, Patrick, how are you doing? You know, do you need something?’ And Patrick, as we know humbly says, ‘I got this, don’t worry about us, We are okay,'” Saha said. “Which I knew from the tone of his voice, He was not okay.”

Saha convinced McCarthy to let him put together a GoFundMe page for people to help support him and his family, but his friend had one condition: all the money raised would be used to help others throughout the Asheville community.

“This is where I am now, these are my people now and just want to do everything I can to help,” McCarthy said.

In the past 24 hours, money and support has poured in. McCarthy has one message for all those who have donated.

“It is just amazing the outpouring of generosity, of a lot of people really overwhelmed,” McCarthy said. “Just, thank you. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts, rest assured that it won’t be squandered.”

So far, they have raised $16,000 in just one day — and they hope people in the community continue to donate at this link.

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