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Blog Post:  Posted January 26, 2010, 7:33 pm by Bija Gutoff

Fundraiser of the Day: Big-A** Sandwich Shop

Country: Haiti

Topics: Emergencies

The line at Big-A** Sandwiches in Portland snaked around the block the day they donated 100% of their profits and tips from customers.

Editor's note: This is the first of a occasional series of short stories about inspiring and colorful donor contributions, efforts and events -- both here in the Pacific Northwest and across the country.

Sandwich cart, open just a month, donates full day’s profits

In December, Lisa Wood and her husband Brian opened their Big-A** Sandwich Shop at the corner of Third and Ash in downtown Portland. The tiny cart was doing pretty well, making about 40 sandwiches during a typical lunch time. Then, less than a month later, the Haiti earthquake struck.

“When I turned on the news, I just started crying,” says Lisa. “We’re a small operation – we go day to day. But we had to do something to help.”

Lisa and Brian decided to donate a percentage of their sales and all of their tips on January 20. They posted the news on Facebook and Twitter, where more than 1,200 fans – including celebrity rocker Storm Large – follow their doings.

Sure enough, that day the line snaked around the block.

“We made 106 sandwiches in four hours,” says Lisa, still amazed at their output. At the end of the day, Lisa and Brian donated $527 to Mercy Corps’ relief work in Haiti. “There’s a great, benevolent spirit in Portland,” says Lisa. “People were waiting patiently for 20 minutes, and thanking us for doing it.”