Nearly three years after the racially motivated mass shooting that took the lives of 10 people at the Tops Friendly Markets store on Jefferson Avenue, the neighborhood continues to heal, and this week, dozens of Tops associates helped move that healing forward.
On Wednesday, more than 100 Tops employees from across Western New York joined the City of Buffalo for Operation Clean Sweep, a city-led initiative to restore and beautify communities.
Karl White, a lifelong resident of Jefferson Avenue, said the area hasn’t felt the same since the shooting on May 14, 2022.
“It really kind of took me to a very bad place, because it was racially motivated and it wasn't good,” White said. “I think I’ve only been to that Tops one time since the incident.”
The cleanup included trash removal, landscaping, and other neighborhood improvements, tasks that may seem simple, but that White said make a lasting impact.
“It usually sits over there for months, because the garbage pickup won’t pick it up, so it just sits over there as an eyesore,” he said. “But this cleanup experience is impacting, and it’s very good.”
Kathy Sautter, Director of Corporate Communications and Public Relations at Tops, said the event is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to the community and to honoring those affected by the tragedy.
“That day was certainly a time of tragedy, but it brought us together and made us stronger," Sautter said. "It did unify us, not only as a company but as a community. We are all one big family, and we all band together when it’s needed the most.”
For longtime Tops associate Carrie Philigara, the event felt personal. She said she woke up Wednesday morning looking forward to it, not because it was her job, but because it gave her purpose.
“It’s just hard to believe that it happened,” she said. “Who would ever think that you’re going grocery shopping and something like this is going to happen?”
Other employees said they felt the same feelings of remembrance and responsibility.
“Clean Sweep is something that is close to my heart, as well as our organization’s heart, to pitch in and help the community,” Cheryl Colbert said.
John Asterdal said the week surrounding May 14 has become one of reflection and unity.
“It becomes a week of remembrance for the lives that were lost," Asterdal said. "It brings it all together, allowing us to not forget, and to grow from it. As a community and people, we are all the same.”
For residents like White, that unity means more than words, it’s proof that healing is possible.
“Things should get better, that’s the main thing,” he said. “Keep hope alive, because a lot of people got depressed behind that.”
Sautter said Tops plans to continue supporting efforts like Operation Clean Sweep for years to come, with a focus not only on restoration, but on remembrance.
