An online fundraiser is trying to bring in money to support the owner of a kitesurfing business in Marin County that burned in a fire earlier this week.
The fire was reported at 3:20 a.m. Tuesday at 44 Industrial Way in unincorporated Greenbrae, the address of the business Live2Kite that sells equipment for kitesurfing and other watersports, according to the Central Marin Fire Department. The fire was declared under control about two hours later.
The owner of the business, Evan Vangelis Mavridoglou, “lost everything” in the fire, according to a GoFundMe account set up by a friend. The account had raised more than $6,400 as of Thursday evening.
The Live2Kite shop “holds countless memories for our community” and had pieces of equipment that “weren’t just tools of his trade, they were the foundation of his passion and the way he shows up for so many of us in this community,” wrote Josh Waldman, who organized the GoFundMe account.
“This isn’t just about replacing equipment; it’s about reminding a great friend that he’s not alone and that the community he’s given so much to is here for him when he needs it most,” Waldman wrote.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Central Marin Fire Department officials said crews were able to contain it to the building where it started, and no injuries were reported.