Restaurants & Bars
$69K Raised For Family Behind Long Island Eatery Hit By Car: 'Thank You'
Great Wall Kitchen, a Chinese restaurant, was "significantly damaged" after police say a drunken driver crashed her car into the building.
![A fundraiser was made for the family that owns Great Wall Kitchen in Farmingdale after Nassau police said a drunken driver crashed a car through it on Friday.](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/23350902/20240129/024644/styles/patch_image/public/greatwallkitchen___29144608835.png)
FARMINGDALE, NY — Nearly $69K was raised for the family that owns Great Wall Kitchen, a Farmingdale Chinese restaurant that was "significantly damaged" after Nassau police said they arrested a woman who drunkenly drove her car into the building on Friday.
Blue Kim started a GoFundMe page for her "dear friend" Kevin and the Chen family after their eatery was damaged.
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Lauren Potter, 39, was driving a 2011 Mercedes Benz north on North Broadway when she left the road and collided with a parked 2018 Toyota, police said. The unoccupied Toyota went through the storefront, and the Mercedes Benz followed, police said. Potter was driving under the influence of alcohol, police said.
Members of the Chen family were working during the crash but "thankfully" came out with minor injuries, Kim wrote on the fundraiser. Great Wall Kitchen has been the Chen family's main source of income for more than 20 years, according to Kim.
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"The Chen family is an incredibly hard-working family and has overcome already significant challenges, including significant sales setbacks of 75% during the COVID-19 pandemic," Kim wrote. "As they navigate the aftermath of this horrific disaster, from medical recovery to the gargantuan task of reviving their beloved restaurant, we ask for your support as they will be unable to earn income from their restaurant during this time. Thank you for supporting a hard-working, immigrant-owned business that truly loves being part of the Farmingdale community."
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