While Congress continues to let Americans starve and go bankrupt while playing politics with a stimulus bill, we’ll drink to this: Jägermeister and the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) have announced a long-term partnership, with the goal of helping to preserve independent live music venues across the United States through the Save Our Stages initiative, which is part of the long-delayed stimulus bill mentioned above.
Kicking off with a $1 million donation to the National Independent Venue Foundation, a 501(c)3, for the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund, Jägermeister and NIVA will work together through 2021 to raise awareness and provide support both for the fund and the surrounding nightlife community.
“The global pandemic has left the nightlife industry feeling paralyzed, and we’re committed to helping our partners find their footing during these difficult times. Through both our partnership with NIVA and our Save the Night initiative, we’re looking forward to offering independent live music venues and the surrounding communities the support they need to push forward & continue creating the art we love,” said Chris Peddy, Jägermeister US’s CMO.
Check out the One More Song trailer made by Jägermeister here
Stephen Sternschein, Board Treasurer of NIVA added, “Jägermeister’s generous donation will be a lifeline for venues at the greatest risk of going under due to the pandemic. While we wait for Congress to pass the Save Our Stages Act, it’s more important than ever to provide relief through the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund. We’re incredibly grateful for this contribution and know it will make all the difference for the independent venues which receive this much-needed help.”
Donations from music fans, artists, and corporations to the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund will provide critical short-term assistance for independent venues and promoters throughout the U.S., allowing these small businesses to hold on as all of NIVA’s 3,000 members anxiously await the passage of the bipartisan Save Our Stages Act in Congress.
As more time passes without the emergency relief, venues continue to disappear. Already, hundreds of venues have shuttered permanently since COVID-19 forced the industry to a standstill in March. The NIVA Emergency Relief Fund, administered by The Giving Back Fund (a 501(c)3), directly supports the preservation of the independent live entertainment ecosystem that presents music, comedy, and the performing arts, helping these critical spaces survive through the Coronavirus pandemic. Individuals, foundations, businesses, and organizations that are interested in contributing to the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund, please visit nivassoc.org/erf.
For more information on Jägermeister’s Save the Night initiative, visit save-the-night.com.
For ways that you can help U.S. independent venues, head here.