Fire Relief Fund Set Up for Peacock Country Store Owners

peacock

Friends of of the owners of the Peacock Country Store have set up a fire relief fund to help the couple, Sheri and Khalid Maziri.

The historic building that housed the store and a few apartments on Lindbergh Road in East Amwell burnt to the ground  on Friday night, Feb. 28. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The building, dating back to the mid 1800s, was a landmark in East Amwell. It was also a favorite stop for cyclists from all over the Princeton region.

A fundraiser will be held this Saturday, March 8 at 6 p.m. at the One-11 Bar and Lounge at the Clinton Holiday Inn. Four bands are donating their performances, and there will be raffles and prizes donated by local businesses. The cover charge of $20 will be donated to the fire relief fund.

Jennifer Linzey, a close friend of Sheri Maziri, has set up a crowdfunding campaign on Go Get Funding to help the family. Sheri Maziri, who ran the store with her husband and her sister,  just gave birth to a baby girl in August.

Maziri
The Maziri family at Sheri’s baby shower this summer.

“I want to start off by saying how sorry I am to each and every one of you for the devastating loss of Peacocks,” Linzey wrote in an email to friends and customers. “We all lost something that day, many lost their homes, Sheri lost the store she loved so much, we lost a meeting place for friends, coffee, and laughs, we lost a beautiful irreplaceable piece of history, and the list goes on. Whether the loss was great or small, it is still a loss nonetheless.”

Linzey said she grew up just up the road from Peacocks and used to ride her bike or walk there often. She was thrilled when Sheri and Khalid took over the business in 2005.

“Sheri loved that store like her first baby, and I know it showed. She also loved her customers, who quickly became her friends,” Linzey wrote. “She loved to hear your stories, and enjoyed getting to know you all. So many great memories were made at Peacocks, and although we will miss it tremendously, we will always have those memories, and those friendships.”

Sheri and Khalid are not ones to ask for help, Linzey said, adding that many people have been asking how they can help the family.

“I know we all feel so helpless right now,” Linzey wrote. “Whatever you can donate, I am sure will help. No amount is too small. Thank you everyone in advance for coming together as a community to help a friend. A friend who is always ready and willing to help others.”

Avatar of Krystal Knapp

Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.

2 Comments

  1. Not sure but assume they probably do. Even then it takes several months or more to sort these things out so either way it is not an easy situation. There is no foul play suspected in terms of what caused the fire.

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