OSBA Gives $14k to Black Walnut
In the early hours of April 16, 2023, a tragic fire destroyed the Black Walnut Café and Bakery, a
long-standing Old South London landmark.
While the owners and staff worked through the difficult next steps, businesses in Old South London
banded together to help their friends at the Black Walnut and were overwhelmed by the community
support they received. At 4pm on Thursday , October 12th at the Craft Farmacy restaurant & bar,
the Old South Business Association presented a cheque to Mandy Etheridge from the
Black Walnut Café for $13,947.29.
DETAIL OF HOW THE FUNDS WERE RAISED:
Initial online fundraiser : $8,975.29
$1 from every coffee sold at Sidetrack Café and Locomotive Espresso on Wednesdays: $3,425
Sales of “ Cafes of Old South Posters ”: $970
Through sales of benefit raffle tickets : $577
—---------------------------------------------------------
Fundraising Campaign Total $13,947.29
FUNDRAISING LEAD BY WORTLEY BLACK WALNUT’S BIGGEST COMPETITOR!
Richie Bloomfield & Mano Majumdar, the owners of the Sidetrack Café, directly across from the Black
Walnut Café, lead these fundraising initiatives. They selflessly proposed that it be presented as an Old
South Business Association venture. When their idea of fundraising for the Black Walnut Cafe was
coming to fruition in conversation with the Old South Business Association and the Old South Community Organization,
they said "Walnut is our closest neighbour in our own industry, and we would like to be there for them
as much as the community has always been there for us."
These gentlemen have been strong supporters of the Old South Business Association's bounce back
after the covid pandemic struggles. Their initiative could have been a "Sidetrack Café is fundraising for
Black Walnut" endeavor, however they opted to not take credit for launching the campaign, but instead
bring the community together under the umbrella of the OSBA, and did it ever work!
(Left to right) Margaret Hopkins from OSCO, Richie Bloomfield from Sidetrack Café, Mandy Etheridge from Black Walnut Café & Ian Leishman with the OSBA.
