
Rest in Peace Enrique
Donation protected
On the day before Thanksgiving, we lost our friend Enrique Bolanos to a horrible motorcycle accident. We were preparing to close down Alissa's Ocean View Bar and Grill. We had received orders from the health department that the COVID numbers were too high and that all in-person dining was going to be prohibited, and we were expecting a new stay at home order. And we knew that our take-out business was never enough to sustain us. So that night we were closing down the restaurant without really knowing when we will really be able to re-open.
Enrique wasn't scheduled to close that night, but he came in to lend moral support. The team has really grown close in the last several months of operating in the COVID age. There were a lot of employees there to help who weren't scheduled. It was an emotional evening, but Enrique was one of the most positive and upbeat of our whole crowd. There were some people, like me, who were quiet and scared and sad about our uncertain future. But Enrique was overflowing with positive, happy energy. "I'm not going to say good-bye," he said. "Because I know we're just going to be right back here in no time, picking up right where we left off!" Those were his last words to me. "I'm not saying goodbye!"
We gave away some food that was going to go bad. We had stocked up for the weekend brunch before the orders came in that brunch wasn't going to happen, so there were a lot of eggs. Enrique had driven his parents' car in so he could bring home some eggs. After he dropped off his parents' car, he got back on his motorcycle to head home, and that's when it happened. As he was coming up to the 5 on Hollywood Way in Burbank, a car made an illegal u-turn and knocked him off of his bike into oncoming traffic.
We were all in shock to hear the news. In the days leading up to this, we've been worrying and steeling ourselves for the possibility of horrifying news about sickness and trouble from the coronavirus, but then something like this happens and reminds us that life is still as fragile as it always was. It's a shock that no one was prepared for. His family is devastated.
Alissa and I wanted to start this fund to collect donations to give to the family to help pay for the many expenses that come with the unexpected death of a loved one. Enrique was a well-loved, indispensable member of the team at Ocean View. All of his co-workers and a lot of our guests have told us that they wish they could do something.
If you knew Enrique or even if you just know our team at Ocean View, please donate what you can. Please pass this on to anyone who you think might want to know about it. I've set the goal of the campaign at $1000, but that's just because the GoFundMe interface requires a goal. If it's not met or if it's surpassed, all the money will be passed on to the family. Thank you for your support.
Enrique wasn't scheduled to close that night, but he came in to lend moral support. The team has really grown close in the last several months of operating in the COVID age. There were a lot of employees there to help who weren't scheduled. It was an emotional evening, but Enrique was one of the most positive and upbeat of our whole crowd. There were some people, like me, who were quiet and scared and sad about our uncertain future. But Enrique was overflowing with positive, happy energy. "I'm not going to say good-bye," he said. "Because I know we're just going to be right back here in no time, picking up right where we left off!" Those were his last words to me. "I'm not saying goodbye!"
We gave away some food that was going to go bad. We had stocked up for the weekend brunch before the orders came in that brunch wasn't going to happen, so there were a lot of eggs. Enrique had driven his parents' car in so he could bring home some eggs. After he dropped off his parents' car, he got back on his motorcycle to head home, and that's when it happened. As he was coming up to the 5 on Hollywood Way in Burbank, a car made an illegal u-turn and knocked him off of his bike into oncoming traffic.
We were all in shock to hear the news. In the days leading up to this, we've been worrying and steeling ourselves for the possibility of horrifying news about sickness and trouble from the coronavirus, but then something like this happens and reminds us that life is still as fragile as it always was. It's a shock that no one was prepared for. His family is devastated.
Alissa and I wanted to start this fund to collect donations to give to the family to help pay for the many expenses that come with the unexpected death of a loved one. Enrique was a well-loved, indispensable member of the team at Ocean View. All of his co-workers and a lot of our guests have told us that they wish they could do something.
If you knew Enrique or even if you just know our team at Ocean View, please donate what you can. Please pass this on to anyone who you think might want to know about it. I've set the goal of the campaign at $1000, but that's just because the GoFundMe interface requires a goal. If it's not met or if it's surpassed, all the money will be passed on to the family. Thank you for your support.
Organizer
Eric Hwang
Organizer
Verdugo City, CA