"Friends--Wondering how we are weathering the pandemic? Not Well. Please check out our GoFundMe. We need help," Matt Tannenbaum, owner of the Bookstore, Lenox, Mass., posted on Facebook Tuesday, after launching a "Save the Bookstore" fundraiser. By Wednesday afternoon, the $60,000 goal had already been met and far exceeded.
In an update, Tannenbaum wrote: "Oh my goodness! I am overwhelmed by the support. Thank you everyone. So sweet.... I am speechless."
On the fundraising page, he had noted: "As busy as we are every day--and yes, we are thankful we're busy--the fact is this: business is down, way down. Sales each week are what they used to be each day. We belong to each other, you and I. If you live nearby, we usually see you pretty regularly. If you're a part-timer, or a summer renter, or a weekender or just an accidental visitor, chances are if you came through our door once, you've probably come back again and again. In the old days I might have sold books to your parents or grandparents. Today I'm selling them, curbside, to you, to your children and grandchildren. But if I want to continue, and if you want me to continue, I am going to need your help....
"Curbside revenue doesn't begin to cover the day-to-day expenses like rent, payroll, utilities, insurance and all the other costs of doing business. Until we can safely open our doors again, and I just don't know when that will be, I most humbly ask you to help me get through. My aim, my pledge to you remains the same as it's ever been--to offer the best in the world of books. But Covid-19 is more formidable than anything we've ever faced."