Local Bank Donates $250G to Rebuild Hoboken Fund

RebuildHoboken.org — the city's official Sandy relief fund — has received its largest donation to date on Wednesday, from Haven Savings Bank. 

The bank is donating $250,000 to the fund. In total, Rebuild Hoboken has received more than $600,000 in donations, said the committee's chairman Bernard Kenny. 

A gala will be held on February 2 at the W Hotel. The proceeds will go to the fund. 

"It makes me very proud to stand here with all of you," said John Wessling, the president of the Haven Savings Bank. Haven Savings Bank has been in Hoboken since 1938. 

"We feel for our customers," Wessling said. "We want to help the citizens in this town." 

Sandy victims in Hoboken can apply for money from the fund until January 20, although that is a flexible deadline, Kenny said. The goal is to get money to affected Hobokenites by February, Kenny said. 

"This is an incredible gift," said Mayor Dawn Zimmer on Wednesday afternoon. "The generosity is really amazing." 

Many businesses, property owners and tenants — especially on the west side of town — are still struggling, the mayor said. All together, Zimmer has estimated the damage in Hoboken around $100 million.