Digital media company Barstool Sports is continuing to bring tears of joy to struggling small business owners and employees this holiday season.
On December 17, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy announced the Barstool Fund, an initiative to assist small businesses who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since then, the Barstool Fund has raised over $6 million.
In his video message on Twitter, Portnoy made the case that small business owners have been left behind by the government, whose policies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are making it hard or impossible for them to stay in business.
“The best plan is the government getting off their ass and issuing relief, billions of dollars, to these small business owners who are losing their livelihoods and that have no recourse and no way to save it through no fault of their own; billions of dollars. That’s the only solution really.”
The company donated half a million dollars to the effort and then challenged others to donate as well.
To qualify for relief from the Barstool Fund, businesses need to have been continuing to pay their employees.
The fund was created to help businesses with things like rent relief or tax relief.
Once a business qualifies for help the Barstool Fund says it is committed to helping businesses on a month to month basis until they are able to survive on their own or “COVID’s done.”
Portnoy says he was moved to create the fund when New York City closed down indoor dining again.
Since introducing the fund, Portnoy has been providing regular updates on Twitter and sharing videos of business owner’s reactions to getting picked for funding.
As of December 26, the Barstool Fund has raised over $6.5 million and is supporting 22 businesses including two in Michigan.
Click here to donate or to read about the businesses that have been helped.
