Clay Ehmke Relief Fund

Hi, my name is Max, Kitchen Manager of The Haunt and friend of Clay Ehmke, the owner/forager/chef of The Haunt. On Sunday, July 2nd, Clay was assaulted by being forcefully thrown to the ground and punched in his eye, that of which he had surgery on in days prior. Clays arm was seriously broken in four places causing him to have serious nerve damage and partial paralysis. Our business runs on foraged mushrooms and a short staff and without Clay being able to forage for our mushrooms or lead the crew in a successful manner, we have not been able to open our doors and serve food for the past week. Being a small business owner with a tight budget, Clay would work with the utility companies and landlord to make sure we could stay open for business. Just a few days without regular service/income has led to compiling bills, that of which can’t be paid, and our gas being shut off. In an already tightly balanced financial situation, this had been the straw that broke the camels back. We have no clue what Clays further medical bills will cost, but it will likely be another large amount of debt that will drive us further into the hole.

We all believe in The Haunt’s mission, serving newfangled, wild mushrooms dishes to the masses to promote mycology and the belief that mushrooms should not be a side dish, but the main course. The Haunt set out to do what no other restaurant has done before, a mushroom focused, plant based restaurant, that serves food and cocktails that you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else, and we did just that. However, in this time, we need help from community. The Haunt employs a small team, but a team none the less, who have drive and dedication to the mission, all who would be left without employment.

Clay is absolutely mad for mushrooms, he loves them more than anyone else I know. I’ve spent countless hours in the swamps of the low-country with Clay, and his love for mushrooms is contagious. Foraging, photography, cooking, and art are all things he loves to do with mushrooms, however, he can no longer do any of those things in his current state. Financial help will make sure that he can continue to do everything he loves after he heals up, including serving the community.

Our plan to use the money raised from this Gofundme is to get the gas turned back on, and catch up on Incurring bills such as rent and electric, however the most important thing is to get the doors back open and without gas, we can’t do that. Once the doors are back open, we can get back to serving the community to the fullest with an eager staff, and clay can be on the road to recovery, but until then we need your help to stay afloat.

Thank you for your support in the past, and continuous support leading into these unforeseen circumstances.

Sincerely, Max C., Kitchen Manager/Friend