Linda Bevington of L.L. Bevington receives a donation from the Pendleton Downtown Association’s Fire Recovery Fundraiser from PDA executive director Wesley Murack.

PENDLETON — A downtown Pendleton business owner benefited from the generosity of the Pendleton Downtown Association.

The PDA’s Fire Recovery Fundraiser awarded $1,000 to Linda Bevington of L.L. Bevington, which suffered water and smoke damage from a recent downtown fire.

The idea for the fundraiser came from PDA executive director Wesley Murack‘s own personal experience. A building in his hometown burned down when he was growing up and he recalled how the community came together to help the surrounding businesses damaged by the fire.

Murack said it’s often unclear how much insurance will cover, how long the process can take, and the impact the process can have on a small business. The PDA raised $1,000 in about a month — some from local donations, but most of it coming from individuals that don’t live in Pendleton, Murack said.

“This goes to show the impact that our community has had on others throughout the country and the strong ties that exist to downtown Pendleton,” he said

The PDA Board of Directors, Murack said, sifted through available data about which businesses were impacted by the fire damage. They determined that L.L. Bevington would see the most impact from the donations.

“Overall, we wish we could help everyone, but we are happy to help such an amazing pillar of our community in L.L. Bevington,” Murack said.