Four years ago today, my two friends and I were just three regular guys coming home from a night out when we stumbled across the unimaginable — the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside.

We weren’t leaders. We weren’t CEOs. We were just people with a phone and a heart that broke seeing what had just happened. We made a choice right there: no victim should be buried alone, and no family should suffer in silence.

That night, we launched what became EZS Events, raising over $1.6 million in days. We had no office, no titles — but we had purpose. We partnered with The Shul of Bal Harbour, a still-private local effort at the time… with a newly forming Hatzalah of South Florida… and eventually Global Empowerment Mission (GEM). Together, we helped create a blueprint for recovery that was later used in places like the Hawaii wildfires.

But we did more than fundraise.

We got real apartments for survivors instead of hotels.
We fed hundreds of rescue workers, police officers, and displaced families every single day.
We built a clothing and essentials bank so no one felt left behind.
We made sure everyone—regardless of race, religion, or background—was seen, heard, and helped.

And in all that chaos… I met my wife.

She was a volunteer bringing food to the very kitchen I was working in. A few weeks later, she asked if I could help out with kids with disabilities. That moment changed my life. We’re now happily married nearly two years, and the only thing I got out of all this wasn’t a plaque, a press conference, or a paycheck — it was her.

I lost my job during this time. I never got a key to a city or any public recognition. But what I got was much more: I helped people. I helped strangers. And in doing that, I found the greatest blessing of my life.

Today, EZS Events has grown into ZushisList — a platform aimed at supporting Florida’s entire Jewish community with events, resources, and connections. But it all started with a tragedy that showed us what happens when ordinary people choose to care.

If there’s one message I want to leave today, it’s this:

“When you help change someone else’s life, you might just end up changing your own.”

The impact of this tragedy extended far beyond the rubble. In the early hours following the collapse, grassroots initiatives mobilized—none more personal than the efforts that birthed EZS Events, now known as Zushi’s List.

Here’s what we found regarding EZS Events and its role in the emergency response:

🗞 Community Fundraising Highlights

1. EZS Events & The Shul of Bal Harbour
   Chesed Fund Campaign
   As reported by The Washington Post (June 30, 2021), EZS Events partnered with The Shul of Bal Harbour to launch the Miami Tragedy Central Emergency Fund. This initiative raised approximately $1.3 million in a matter of days to directly assist victims and families.

2. Support Surfside Hardship Fund
   supportsurfside.org
   Led by Coral Gables, Key Biscayne, and Miami Foundations along with the Miami Heat’s charities, this fund raised $1.6 million by June 2021 and later disbursed $4.9 million to support housing and mental health services for 213 victims.

3. Miami Marlins Relief Fund & Broader Community Aid
   Feeding South Florida: Marlins Relief
   The Miami Marlins, with Bruce Sherman and loanDepot CEO Anthony Hsieh, launched a relief fund with an initial commitment of $200,000.
   Other major organizations also stepped in: Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Catholic Charities, United Way, World Central Kitchen, Mercy Chefs, Food Rescue US, and Hatzalah all provided urgent aid and services.

4. Combined Impact

• Support Surfside: $1.6M (June 2021), $4.9M by December 2021

• Chesed Fund (EZS + Shul): ~$1.3M

• Marlins Relief Fund: $200K+ with ongoing contributions

• Numerous other campaigns raised additional millions via GoFundMe, Red Cross, and Jewish relief networks

#SurfsideStrong #CommunityFirst #ZushisList #EZSStory #FromTragedyToBlessing #NeverForget #SurfsideCollapse #MiamiJewishCommunity #VolunteerPower #LoveInTheChaos

👉 For ongoing community stories from South Florida and beyond, visit Zushi’s List.

For historical context and the official federal investigation into the collapse, visit the NIST Champlain Towers Collapse Background page.

Read the full article:
Families Gather in Surfside at 1:15 A.M. to Mark 4 Years Since Condo Collapse
Source: VINnews, June 2025