As COVID-19 rips through the country, the impact on Bergen County, New Jersey is catastrophic. Recent charts made by NJ.com and the Centers for Disease Control, show that the county of almost 950,000 has topped entire states in confirmed cases.
After the original spike in cases in Bergen County, the threat of the virus became undeniable. Soon schools closed, events were cancelled and non-essential businesses were forced to close. Dine-in options for restaurants were no more. Food had to be delivered or picked up outside of the restaurant, if the restaurant stayed open at all.
For small businesses in towns like Glen Rock, located in Bergen, with a population of just over 12,000, the thought of staying closed for a month or more was grim. Businesses living day-to-day were now at risk of having to close if the lockdown dragged on for longer than Governor Phil Murphy originally had planned.
Two students at the local high school decided to do something about it.
Juniors Lily Ryan and Ty Scherer have been classmates and friends since middle school. The two of them noticed campaigns with the intent of supporting local business occurring throughout the area, and thought that they had the chance to help their town.
"Ty and I were worried that a closure due to the pandemic would lead to a financial situation where local stores in towns wouldn't be able to reopen," Ryan said. "We also sensed a growing fear in the community, and we wanted to find a way to bring unity and solidarity, hence our 'Rock Solid' t-shirts."
The t-shirts cost $25 each. Participants could pay the amount to receive a t-shirt, or they could opt to not receive one, in which case all of the money would be donated.
The initial goal for the fundraiser that would go to support hospitals, businesses and other charities was set at $2,500.
"We thought we would be lucky if we raised $3,000," Ryan said. "We hoped we'd come close to that and, honestly, a little worried if that was too ambitious."
The amount raised when the fundraiser closed; $13,939.
"I didn't think it would be this successful," Scherer said. "But, the Glen Rock community is so supportive, it really is not surprising."
With the money earned, the two will now be contacting local hospitals, foster homes and charities that can use food donations. At the same time, they will also be reaching out to the businesses in Glen Rock to try and assess what their needs are as well.
"We felt a ton of responsibility to make sure we were doing this right, and to be honest we also feel a lot of pressure to help as many people as possible," Ryan said. "It's kind of overwhelming to realize no matter how much we can help, there is still more need."
The feedback the two have gotten about the fundraiser has reaffirmed what it was always meant to do; spread hope . Ryan says it truly shows the kindness that lives in their community.
"We have been receiving so many positive messages since the fundraiser started," Scherer said. "The messages that stick out the most are the ones from the local business owners. They say that they are grateful for what we are trying to do, which really makes us feel we are making a difference."
As the world moves into a future of unknowns, both Scharer and Ryan said that if a situation such as this were to happen again, they would do another fundraiser to support their community.
"The support that we received from the people in our town has been really special," Ryan said. "Knowing that we were going to be able to help those who are in need is such a good feeling."
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