Restaurants around West Seattle and White Center came together to raise money in support of Shi Qiu Chen and family, after her husband died suddenly last January. They donated 10 percent of all dinners served on an evening and presented her the money on March 17.
From left behind the family are: Vanessa LeMaster and John LeMaster Noble Barton, Khalid Agour of Itto's Tapas, Dan Austin of Peel and Press, Peter Morse and Shawn Padilla of Mission Cantina, Kristina Serfass with Baked Custom Cakes, and JP Vidican Westy Sports and Spirits.
Following the publication of the story of Shi Qiu Chen and her family at the New Leaf Bistro in the Admiral District many in the West Seattle/White Center restaurant community came together to help the struggling family.
Shi lost her husband January 29, after a sudden discovery of advanced lung cancer, which led to his death.
A GoFundMe page was set up to help collect donations and raise $30,000 to offset funeral costs and get the family back on solid ground. That page shows the total close to $20,000 and local restaurants set up an evening in which 10 percent of all dinners sold was donated to the cause. That total came to $2272.
The restaurants that took part were:
- Noble Barton (White Center)
- Peel and Press
- Itto's
- Mission Cantina
- Circa
- Baked Custom Cakes
- Westy Sports and Spirits
Shi expressed her gratitude to the whole group saying "I can't say thank you enough."
She said she has been praying every night, asking her husband to send someone to help. And amazingly enough, a chef that they had been hoping as a couple would come to work for them came in, just before the money was donated, and accepted a job as a chef.
Sometimes prayers really are answered.
