Three days after rioters turned the downtown Vancouver Bay store into a scene of wanton looting and destruction, the department store gave thanks to the volunteers who helped clean up the mess.

A small army of Vancouverites shocked and disappointed by the Stanley Cup riot Wednesday night descended on the downtown core the next morning to mop up the streets and maybe even save the city's reputation.

One of the places most in need of a little TLC was The Bay, where rioters burned cars and smashed through windows to loot the merchandise inside. The store held a pancake breakfast Saturday morning to express its gratitude.

"It's all about thanking the community for all their love and support and kindness of coming down here and cleaning up and helping us to get back on track again as quickly as possible," store director Dana Hall told CTV News.

Volunteers Julia Buczek, 20, and Russell Copley, 14, were amazed by the gesture. They say they didn't expect to be celebrated for their efforts -- they just wanted to help.

"I was just so angry that I didn't know what to do, and then I woke up to see the Facebook campaign and I [thought] sure, I'll come down and help," Copley said.

"We didn't want to show the world that Vancouver is like this," Buczek added.

The Bay isn't the only business recognizing the volunteers who mobilized to take back the city. REO Rafting is offering free tours to people who can prove they were part of the cleanup, and Budget Car Rental wants to track down Chris Leveille, the man who was injured trying to protect the company's shop from rioters.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Penny Daflos