Hundreds show up for candlelight vigil honoring The Old Pink

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) – Candles, flowers, a wedding photo and even beer cans lay in the rubble of the Old Pink after a candlelight vigil Monday evening.

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Hundreds of people showed up at what’s left of The Old Pink for a Buffalo-style candlelight vigil, with drinks in hand and grabbing what’s left of the bar.

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Yvonne said she started going to the bar in her 20s and was a bartender there for 17 years.

“It’s a place I’ve always felt at home, where I could come late at night, early, any time of the day and always find a friendly face,” Yvonne said. “I was really upset and I cried all day and, being here now, I feel better seeing the community participate.”

The once bustling late-night bar, known for its steak sandwiches, is now nothing more than a pile of rubble on Allen Street.

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Buffalo fire crews were called to a massive fire at The Old Pink Monday morning.

Crews responded to the two-alarm fire just before 6 a.m.

7 News has learned no one was in the building at the time and there were no injuries. When crews arrived, workers were leaving the bar.

RELATED: ‘My heart is broken’: Crews demolish The Old Pink in Buffalo’s Allentown neighborhood after massive fire

“Honestly, Allentown will never be the same after this,” Yvonne said.

“It’s really sad. I mean Allentown is such an inclusive community and a place like this is really hard to lose,” Tim Leary said.

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“It’s an institution in the neighborhood. Almost everyone has their first drink here and it’s really sad not only that the fire happened, but also because it had to be completely demolished without any hope of keep anything important,” Rachel Lombardo said. .

Throughout the night, people placed pink flamingos, empty bottles and signs in honor of The Old Pink.

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“As horrible as it sounds, every time there’s a bad event in Buffalo, it’s kind of when you see everyone come out and support each other the most. I never thought there would be so many people,” Lombardo said.

RELATED: GoFundMe Created to Help Raise Money for The Old Pink After Large Fire Burns Popular Allentown Bar

“I mean Buffalo – it’s a great community, everyone wants to get together to have a few drinks, listen to music, so it’s all about community,” Leary said.

“It’s an iconic place and the community will miss it. The families. The community. Everyone who came here. The people who met here years ago and are still married. They had their first kiss here. They had their second kiss here Anyway, , like it’s something that this community would really miss,” Yvonne said.