June 9, 2020
The GoFundMe page link is at the bottom of this article
On May 31st, Santa Monica rioters broke into Sunny Optometry located at 1355 4th St. Santa Monica, CA 9040. The rioters looted and set fire to the building and destroyed an optometrist operated by a 90% female staff that’s been in business since 1985.
“The team at Sunny Optometry was overwhelmingly excited to welcome back patients after a two month closure from the COVID-19 pandemic. After months of grueling planning, we managed to safely reopen our doors to serve our community and restore our teams’ lost jobs. On Sunday May 31st, only two weeks after reopening, waves of brazen rioters and looters destroyed all that our team has built since 1985. Previously the office of Dr. Weintraub, we have always endeavored to provide superior eye care and deliver a bespoke experience. Dr. Sun, Dr. Sjolund, and the team have invested countless hours to nurture a unique patient experience, and regretfully must inform all patients that Sunny Optometry must again close until further notice to repair the extensive vandalism.”
“We want the community to know that every member of the Sunny Optometry team is from a minority group. We are Asian, Black, Hispanic, and 90% women operated. We are your neighbors, friends, and family. On the eve of our 1 year anniversary from transitioning from Dr. Weintraub to Sunny Optometry, our hopes and dreams were crushed by having to close our doors for the second time in 2020.”
“Dr. Sun is a first generation immigrant who spent every single summer, winter, and spring break working to help financially support her family. She grew up with the impression that American dream could be achieved through diligence and education, and became an optometrist. She met her husband Dr. Sjolund in optometry school, and together they poured their heart, soul, and life savings into their practice.”
“Amid the start of a protest in downtown Santa Monica, all day we helplessly witnessed our life’s work vandalized, stolen, and burned. The looters were so thorough they stole everything including receipt paper, pennies, and lint in our drawers before setting it all ablaze. The fire suppression was activated overnight and caused massive damage, therefore the office must be rebuilt from the ground up as there is very little to salvage. We are eternally grateful for the brave police and firefighters who managed to mitigate the damage and prevent the office from becoming a pile of ash.”
“Sunny Optometry is independently owned, and our team greatly appreciates any assistance as we try to rebuild during these unprecedented times. We encourage you to share our story with others, and we are raising funds to rebuild the office and fix the damage to get our team back to work as soon as possible.”
“We are so very humbled and grateful for the outpouring of kindness and generosity shown to us by so many. While currently overwhelmed with a devastating loss and the realization we have so much work ahead of us, the goodness and help we are receiving uplift us. We look ahead to the day when we will once again open the doors to offer care for our patients. Please know that it’s our sincere desire to individually thank you, and greatly appreciate your patience as we rebuild. We thank everyone for sharing our story with others and look forward to seeing you in-person again soon.”
“We urge everyone not to purchase glasses frames from non-reputable sources such as eBay, Craigslist, OfferUp, flea markets or other peer to peer sources. Some of the following brands may have a high likelihood of being stolen from our or other optometry offices. By purchasing stolen goods, you directly fuel criminals who travel from city to city who may be targeting your neighborhood next.”
The GoFundMe page for this businesses can be accessed by clicking HERE
Feature Screenshot via GoFundMe