More than 100 businesses in the Lambertville-New Hope area will give a percentage of their earnings Monday to the American Red Cross for the New York City-D.C. Explosion Relief Fund
By: Mae Rhine
Martine’s chef Ray Bradney and Lambertville Station waiter Ehrin Harrison woke up with the same idea Sept. 13, two days after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
The result is more than 100 businesses in the Lambertville-New Hope area will be donating a portion of their proceeds Monday to the American Red Cross for the New York City-D.C. Explosion Relief Fund.
Mr. Harrison was getting a cup of coffee Sept. 11 when someone came in and asked, "Did you hear the news?"
With the political turmoil in New Hope recently, Mr. Harrison said he thought the person meant news on the local level, and remarked, "What happened now?"
His reaction was one of disbelief when he found out what really happened.
"I didn’t believe it until I turned on the television."
The disbelief continued through the following day.
"I woke up the next day and, it’s probably very cliché, but the next day when I woke up, for the first literal two minutes, I was convinced it was a dream," Mr. Harrison said. "I didn’t believe it until I actually turned on the television" again.
Wanting to help, he woke up Thursday with the idea of getting local businesses involved, the same thought running through Mr. Bradney’s mind as well as countless others in the area.
"It’s weird, because it seems like we both woke up with the same idea," Mr. Harrison recalled. "I came over to Lambertville and talked to Dan Whitaker (a partner) of the Station and talked about putting together something like this."
He went over to Martine’s later that day and met up with Mr. Bradney.
"He pulled me aside and said, ‘Hey, listen to what I’m working on.’ I said, ‘That’s what I’m working on,’ " and the two decided to pool their efforts.
Mr. Bradney’s original idea was just restaurants donating a portion of their proceeds, but Mr. Harrison suggested, "Let’s expand on that and do all the shops."
The two have spent countless hours, going door to door and making numerous phone calls to get the word out.
"We’ve been enlisting the help of everyone," Mr. Harrison said.
All the businesses will write individual checks to the American Red Cross, "whatever percentage they want," and Mr. Harrison and Mr. Bradney will collect those checks, getting a total to be announced that will be send to the Red Cross.
Staples in New Hope donated the cost of 10,000 brochures, listing all the different establishments that will be participating. Volunteers will be handing them out at gas stations, the New Hope Information Center, both the New Hope and Lambertville area chambers of commerce as well as municipal buildings in the area.
Even the parking lot attendants at the Station will hand them out to customers. In addition, the Station has donated the cost of printing signs for all participating establishments.
The signs will read, simply, "We support the American flag. A portion of today’s sales will support the American Red Cross."
For more information or to find out how to join, contact Chef Bradney at Martine’s Restaurant at (215) 862-2966 or Mr. Harrison at Lambertville New Hope Walks at 397-1898.

