In the midst of a typical Saturday night at her popular sports lounge, Raina Valkoun, the owner of Raina’s Sports Lounge, found herself in a life-threatening situation. Just as she was enjoying a drink with her longtime friend and customer, disaster struck. The walls of the lounge began to crumble around them, trapping more than a dozen people inside.
Valkoun was pinned under five feet of debris as the building collapsed. She remained trapped for 45 minutes until first responders were able to rescue everyone, but one of her closest friends did not survive. As she reflected on the experience, Valkoun expressed her hope that her friend had passed quickly without fear.
Despite the devastation caused by the storm and the loss of her beloved bar, Valkoun is grateful for another day of life. Around 30 people were injured in the incident, with approximately half of them present at her bar at the time. As she surveyed the damage and witnessed the resilience of those in her community, Valkoun felt a sense of gratitude for the lives that were spared.
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