Donations Pour In To Help Slope's BBQ of Sandy Springs

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Sandy Springs, GA -- The community has gone above and beyond to help the employees affected by Wednesday’s fire at Slope’s BBQ of Sandy Springs.

The GoFundMe campaign to collect money for the employees who’ve taken a hit in tips due to the fire is less than $2,000 from its goal to collect $10,000.

As of Saturday afternoon, $8,646 has been contributed to the GoFundMe page. In a video message updating the community on the campaign, resident Jim Martell characterized the support stemming from the initiative as “incredible.”

Martell said he would be touching base with Slope’s co-owners Andy and Glenn McDaniel, who are busy catering and running the establishment from the company’s Alpharetta location at 5865 Gateway Drive.

On its Facebook page, Slope‘s thanked the community for its outreach, and said it was “humbled by the outpouring of support.”

“We love our customers and the communities that we live in and serve, and have faith that our future is in good hands,” the company said.

Crews with Sandy Springs Fire Rescue responded to the fire just after 7 a.m. Dec. 16.

City spokesperson Sharon Kraun previously told Patch that personnel from Fire Station No. 2 ”noticed heavy smoke coming through the roof” of the restaurant, which is located at 200 Johnson Ferry Road. Along with the fire damaging the restaurant, smoke from the blaze also impacted neighboring storefronts in the shopping complex.

Sandy Springs Deputy Fire Chief Mark Duke said the fire “appears to have started somewhere around the smoker and chimney area, which extended into the attic space.”

In the next few days, the co-owners will come together and determine how long the employees will be impacted by reduction in tips “so we can get this money to them in a way that makes the most sense,” Martell said.

If it turns out the donations have exceeded the amount necessary for the campaign, Martell said organizers will see what can be done to donate the rest of the funds to residents who were affected by two other fires that were reported within a 12-hour span in the city.

One of those fires, which was reported the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 15, damaged at least six units at the Avalon on Abernathy apartment complex. One resident was injured when she jumped from an apartment building to avoid the blaze.

Duke previously told Patch that investigators believe the case of the fire is related to a cooking incident.

• Be sure to follow Slope’s BBQ of Sandy Springs’ Facebook page and the GoFundMe campaign for updates on the rebuilding process.

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Image via Shutterstock