LANCASTER, Pa. -- Proceeds from about 20 businesses are going toward helping Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria ripped through the U.S. territory.
Tracy Artus, the owner of Miesse Candies, said, "It's just really, really so hard to watch the tragedy that's unfolding there. To have millions and millions of people just without electricity, I can't imagine what they're going through."
Businesses in Lancaster, like Miesse Candies, raised money to go toward the Mennonite Disaster Service to help the island rebuild. Many people in the city are connected to someone who lives or lived in Puerto Rico.
Randolph Hernandez, one of the event organizers, said, "Lancaster has such a great reputation within the commonwealth that people eventually do migrate here."
Nicole Vasquez, the owner of That Shuu Girl and Nicole Taylor Boutique, said, "Lancaster has a really big Hispanic and especially Puerto Rican people here, so I feel like Lancaster has a huge tie to family in Puerto Rico."
From boutiques to restaurants, like Catalina's On Orange, the businesses are dedicated to the cause. Owners said they were happy with the turnout.
Louis Pagan, the general manager of Catalina's On Orange, said, "It was actually really nice because you have all different nationalities. You got a lot of different cultures. Everybody seems to be enjoying it, and most of them went with this Puerto Rican food so that was actually even better."
And business owners said they are planning to continue to raise money for Puerto Rico even after this fundraiser.
That Shuu Girl at 325 North Queen Street, Suite B01, and Nicole Taylor Boutique at 147 East King Street, are having 10 percent of their proceeds going to the Mennonite Disaster Service until Saturday.
Event organizers want to have more fundraisers, like a telethon for Puerto Rico, in the near future.