Local restaurant launches fundraiser to support small business owner

A local restaurant that hasn't even opened yet is launching a fundraiser to support a fellow small business owner.

The owner of Talayah’s Southern Grill & Authentic Soul Food, Michael Page, also known as Chef Stackz, has been battling serious health issues over the last few weeks.

After a slow recovery from a knee operation in April, his health took a turn over the last month and a half. His wife says it progressed quickly.

“36 hours in he was really different,” said Stacey Page, Michael’s wife. “So I called 911 to have him taken to hospital where all four major organs were fighting with each other.”

While Chef Stackz is home resting now, his road to recovery remains long.

“It was the liver, kidneys, lungs and heart, so it made it tough for the doctors,” she said. “But he’s home, he can’t go back to work. I was really proud of my older boy for stepping up and saying, I'll be there.”

New York Pizza Den is still putting the finishing touches on their new pizza shop, but when they saw what the Page family was going through, they jumped into action.

“When I got the call from Stacey, it was like, what is it that we can do,” said Raj Nair of New York Pizza Den. “When the idea came up, we had to implement it.”

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With the help of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, they came up with a plan.

“One of our Chamber members came to us and said, there’s a local restaurant owner, Chef, that’s going through a tough time,” said Jason Aebig, CEO of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce. “We’d like to do something and we’re prepared to launch a fundraiser to help his business and his family. And of course we said yes.”

In less than 48 hours, they came up with the plan to donate 100 per cent of all proceeds from pizza to the Page family on Monday, Dec. 18, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

While they still haven't officially opened, Aebig says this kind of agility from small businesses is what makes them great.

“If this was a corporation, this would have taken six months to pull together,” he said. “Because it's entrepreneurs and small business owners, they slam it out in 48 hours and that is what makes them so remarkable.”

A GoFundMe campaign has been created to support the Page family while Chef Stackz recovers.

Page says it was hard to ask for help, but it’s been heartwarming to see the community reaching out in her family’s time of need.

Whether it’s meals sent to her by The Pitch Kitchen, doctors helping to raise money, Prairie Sun Brewery donating proceeds from chicken, Page said she’s grateful for all the support.

“We've had numerous people help with different things and we're so grateful because without them, I don't know if I could be as strong as I am,” she said.