As COVID-19 continues to prevent live music, Michigan venue The Intersection is raising money to help their hourly staff support their families.
There is no other venue like The Intersection. A single-building structure in West Michigan houses not one, but four performance spaces under its roof. In a pre-coronavirus time, rarely a night would pass without one or more rooms hosting music, and some nights three or more would be packed with rabid fans celebrating life while watching their favorite musicians.
A month has passed since The Intersection hosted its last concert, and the world has been changing at an alarming rate because of COVID-19. There are hundreds of cases in the city of Grand Rapids, and the state of Michigan remains under lockdown until the end of April (at the earliest). The venue owners and promoters do not know when performances will resume, but they are determined to help their dedicated staff make ends meet during these uncertain times.
Recently, The Intersection launched a fundraising campaign to benefit its hourly staff. The venue is selling a black t-shirt that includes the phrase “Section fam,” a term created by fans of the venue to describe what it feels like to be a patron to the business.
Shirts cost $20 and can be purchased on the venue’s website.
A message from the venue reads:
Hello everyone… We understand that many of you are experiencing your own personal struggles during this time of uncertainty. With the recent shutdown of concert venues and many other businesses, we are determined to take care of our employees in every way we can. Many of our staff members who help bring these shows to life are hourly and/or tipped employees – so when we’re unable to host concerts, they do not have the opportunity to generate income. This could be the person providing your ticket, stamping your hand, pouring your drink, setting up the band’s equipment, controlling sound and lighting, or keeping you safe and secure while you escape life’s worries. If you are interested in helping them you can go to the link below and purchase one of these T-shirts. 100% of ALL SALES WILL GO DIRECTLY TO OUR HOURLY EMPLOYEES who are most affected by this shutdown. As orders come in, we will have the shirts printed and made available for shipment or pick-up at a future date. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your compassion, SectionFam. We wish you and your loved ones good health and positive spirits in these unprecedented times.
If you have money to spare, please consider donating to The Intersection or a venue in your area. Similar scenarios are happening across the country at businesses and venues of all sizes because of COVID-19. We cannot save everyone, but we have to fight with everything in us to save the ones we love.
Please send other venue Kickstarter campaigns and fundraising goals to james@haulix.com for inclusion on our blog.
You must be logged in to post a comment.