Dec. 31, 2020

When Jebediah Christensen lost his central Sioux Falls home in a Christmas Day fire, his co-workers at the Crow Bar were among the first people to reach out.

“Right off the bat, they were giving me clothes for my 2-month-old,” Christensen said.

It’s a small, tight-knit staff at the bar, he added, and the support goes beyond his co-workers. Owner Terri Hermanson said in the days since the fire, she has had countless customers call and ask what they can do to help.

That’s when Hermanson and her sister-in-law Belinde Cordell decided to host a fundraiser for the Christensen family at the Crow Bar, a place where many customers recognize Christensen’s face.

“He works an awful lot of hours, and so everybody was wanting to help,” Cordell said. “He likes being around people, so we thought the best way to do a fundraiser for him would be to just get everybody together.”

The fundraiser will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Crow Bar, 2805 S. Minnesota Ave. A freewill cash donation will be collected, and all proceeds raised from the meal option also will go to the family.

Christensen started working at the Crow Bar about five years ago, and he has been a bartender in Sioux Falls for 15 years. His wife, Jessa, will start a job as a NICU nurse after her maternity leave for daughter Ella ends.

Not being able to go home these past few days has been tough, Christensen said, but one of the toughest losses was their family dog, Piper, a 3-year-old golden retriever.

“I was really close to her,” he said, adding that he has many memories of taking Piper to the lake in the summer.

Firefighters worked for 20 minutes to resuscitate the dog, an act of compassion Christensen said brings tears to his eyes.

In what has been an incredibly difficult week, Christensen said it’s “unreal” seeing the support from the staff and customers at the Crow Bar.

“I’m getting messages from people that have met me once,” he said. “It’s pretty amazing.”

Those who can’t attend the fundraiser can donate directly to the family through Venmo to @Jebediah-Christensen or @Jessa-Nath.