When Yardbird Southern Table & Bar line cook Rashawn K. Samuel lost his life on May 29, his work family sprung into action with general manager Dustin Lapekas initiating a GoFundMe page to raise funds for Samuel's family:
We are reaching out to our 50 Eggs family and any others that knew Rashawn Samuel. Rashawn was an employee at Yardbird, Miami Beach for nearly a year and was flourishing as an employee and as an individual. Unfortunately, Rashawn was taken from us unexpectedly as he lost his life on May 29, 2016.John Kunkel,
We would like to collect any amount of money that our 50 Eggs family would like to provide to be able to assist Rashawn's family to financially cope with his passing.
We would like to present a check to his family by next Monday, June 6, 2016. This gives us a full week to ensure we have enough time to gather donations.
We appreciated everyone's support as the Yardbird Miami team mourns this loss from our team member. Thank you very much for your time.
Kunkel described Samuel as a dedicated employee. "He was a line cook for us, and he cared about what he did. He was a good guy, and he worked hard."
The restaurant executive did not want to share details of Samuel's death but did say he was in touch with the family.
Kunkel added that when another employee died of a heart attack months back, the restaurant did the same thing. "We come together as a family."
So far, the GoFundMe page has raised $1,025 of its $2,000 goal. To contribute, visit gofundme.com.
