Lee Pulaski, lpulaski@shawanoleader.com
Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski A boy watches the band TnA and the Explosions on Saturday night at Neighbors Bar and Grill. The band was one of numerous groups that played at the benefit for Chris Dewey, owner of the Rustic Resort, which was destroyed by fire earlier this year.
Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski Chris Hidde, donning a dress and wig, talks with patrons at Neighbors to solicit donations for the Rustic Resort benefit Saturday.
The Rustic Resort was more than a place to eat and drink for the hundreds of people who gathered Saturday for a benefit for its owner.
The place was a second home for some who lived near the business in Belle Plaine. For others, a visit to the resort was a family tradition.
The Rustic burned to the ground on Feb. 19, leaving owner Chris Dewey with little more than the clothes on her back. The Neighbors Bar and Grill in Waukechon opened its doors Saturday for a benefit for Dewey, who suffered burns and carbon monoxide poisoning from the fire.
Officials with the Shawano Fire Department have said the cause of the fire might never be known.
Dianne Bostel-Smith, of Nichols, donated $100 because she knows how devastating a fire can be.
“Mine wasn’t as bad as Chris’, but I did lose pets,” Bostel-Smith said, pointing out that Dewey lost two dogs in the Rustic fire. “I came out OK, and my heart just goes out to her.”
Bostel-Smith had only been to the Rustic twice, but her daughter was a bartender there.
“They had wonderful food,” she said.
Connor Ford, who lives in the Cloverleaf Lakes area near the Rustic, attended many events and held a high school graduation party there. The 19-year-old said he had a lot of fond memories of the Rustic.
“My family grew up with the Rustic. My parents got married at the Rustic,” Ford said. “It meant so much to so many people that it’s just a shame to see it go.”
Jim Burton donned a dress, wig and red lipstick to wander around as a drag queen Saturday soliciting additional donations at the benefit.
“I’m not going to turn them down,” Burton said. “They did so much for me. I might as well give a little back.”
Burton’s early years were spent in Appleton, but the family still went to the Rustic on a regular basis. When he moved to Belle Plaine in 1994, the Rustic was 50 feet from his home.
The money raised Saturday was enough to pay Dewey’s medical bills and to clean up the site, according to Tracy Druckrey, one of the coordinators for the event.
“It was wall-to-wall packed,” Druckrey said. “I was a little surprised, but it was great.”
Thrivent Financial presented a $1,200 check to match what had been donated at Associated Bank in the days leading up to the benefit. Coordinators of the event declined to say exactly how much money was raised for Dewey.
Dewey could not be reached for comment, but Druckrey said the Rustic owner planned to take a little time for herself. It is unknown if Dewey plans to rebuild.