Coronavirus: 'Couchella' To Kick Off Plymouth One Fundraiser

PLYMOUTH, MA — A virtual "Couchella" music festival of local artists is set to kick off the Plymouth One Fund's drive to raise $250,000 for the sustainability of small businesses in town amid and beyond the coronavirus health crisis. The Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce and Masks4Meds have set an initial goal of $250,000, with $20,000 in donations already secured as of Tuesday.

The Plymouth One Fund will host its first fundraising event, Couchella, on May 9 from 7 to 10 p.m. Couchella was created to entertain our community from the comfort of your home as it continues efforts to social distance and raise awareness for the Plymouth One Fund. Local artists include Jake Hill, Hitch (of 3rd Left), Zak Fey (of 3rd Left), Hayley Sabella, Mike McKenna (of Mountain Weekend), Abigail Vail, Chris Ballerini, The Lindsays, and Pat and Tom Fey (of The Fey Band).

The artists will perform their original for the shows that will be aired on PACTV on Verizon
Channel 43 and Comcast Channel 13, as well as live streaming on PACTV's Facebook and YouTube channel.

Throughout the virtual event, town heroes on the front lines will be celebrated and stories of local businesses will be heard. Couchella is planned as the first of many fundraising events the team will organize to ensure the Plymouth One Fund is available to assist small businesses with
hardships for years to come. For questions about Couchella, please reach out to Mike Hargrave at 508-410-5990 or mike_hargrave@mhandco.com.

“Our team wanted to help," Masks4Meds founder Kosta Haveles said. "We simply wanted to take action as concerned citizens, to do what we can to raise funds to immediately help our health care workers and provide financial assistance to those businesses we love to frequent. The support from the community has been off the charts and we want to make a positive impact with our donors' support to get through this incredibly difficult time."

The Plymouth One Fund will provide aid in the form of unrestricted grants to support rent, employee salaries, and operating costs. The Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce will collect donations and administer the funds, with guidance from a committee comprised of members of the Chamber. Small businesses will be asked to complete an application to determine eligibility and you do not have to be a member of the Chamber to apply.

The Plymouth One Fund intends to release multiple funding rounds as monies become available. This goal is completely dependent on contributions. Donations can be made by visiting plymouthchamber.com.

"Thousands of businesses in our community are deeply impacted by the economic effects of COVID-19," said Amy Naples,Executive Director of the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce. "These businesses support thousands of local jobs. They're our friends and neighbors and the face of our community. We are committed to doing all we can to help them through this destabilizing time."

To contribute to the Plymouth One Fund, please visit www.plymouthchamber.com