Dubuque bar rallies behind worker displaced by apartment fire with pizza fundraiser

A Dubuque saloon spent Friday night serving pizza to help one of its own recover from a devastating apartment fire, KCRG reports. Knickers Saloon hosted a four-hour pizza fundraiser for employee Chelsea Gephart, whose apartment building caught fire on Saturday, Nov. 7. Gephart and her cat, Binx, escaped safely, but she has been displaced and has been staying with a friend since. A percentage of every dine-in and carryout pizza sold between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday went toward helping Gephart replace damaged belongings and get back on her feet. Owner Cindy Freese said Gephart has worked at the saloon for a couple of years, making the decision to organize the event an easy one. "As soon as I heard on Sunday morning, shock obviously was set in right away," Freese said. "But the next was, 'What can I do?' As soon as I heard that, I wanted to know what I could do down here to help her, just to ease any discomfort or anything that she was going through at this time." Freese said the American Red Cross has also been guiding Gephart through the aftermath. The fire, at a 30-unit building at 280 W. 17th St., displaced residents of 20 units; investigators determined a lit candle caused it. Anyone who missed Friday night's fundraiser can still contribute through a monetary donation jar set up at Knickers Saloon.