Barstool Fund helps Pennsylvania family-run bowling alley: 'Every month was hit or miss'
The Barstool Fund has helped 47 businesses so far
The owners of a family-run Pennsylvania bowling alley react on 'America's Newsroom' to getting assistance from Dave Portnoy's Barstool small business fund.
National digital media company The Barstool Sports is making an impact on small-business owners who are struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic through a fund to help keep them afloat.
The owner of the Wilkes-Barre, Pa.-based Chacko's Family Bowling Center got a call on Christmas Eve telling them they had been chosen for The Barstool Fund. The fund is a COVID-19 relief effort started by Barstool Sports CEO Dave Portnoy, who has been frequently vocal about the plight of small-business owners during the coronavirus pandemic.
Each month, a small business is chosen by the relief fund to get financial assistance until the pandemic is over.
“The next thing that I did was stop myself from shaking for a few minutes and then did the call with my sisters and my dad and my aunt and my uncle to give everybody the good news,” Kara Hodorowski told "America's Newsroom."
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The Chacko’s Family Bowling Center has been open since the end of June at half capacity, until recently being shut down again.
“It’s tough, every month," Hodorowski said. "Even if you have people in here at half capacity, you can’t possibly pay 100% of your bills with half of the people here. So, every month it was hit and miss, and now, we finally have something to bridge that gap," she added.
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Barstool’s small business aid fundraiser has garnered $11.7 million so far, with over 100,000 people supporting. It has directly aided 47 businesses.
“We want to help and do everything we can to make sure people are healthier during the pandemic. But, if we’re going to be forced to be closed or be forced to have fewer people here; spend more money on cleaning and staffing, we just need a little financial help to make it through the next couple of months or however long this continues to go on,” Hodorowski said.
Barstool is continuing to accept applications from small businesses to take part in The Barstool Fund.