Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan, left, with Sheboygan Mayor Ryan Sorenson during Brennan's visit to that city in July. | YouTube
Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan, left, with Sheboygan Mayor Ryan Sorenson during Brennan's visit to that city in July. | YouTube
More than 200 small venues and businesses in Wisconsin will receive a share of millions in Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money, Gov. Tony Evers said in a pre-Christmas announcement.
Over $27 million in ARPA-funded event venue and live event small business assistance grants will be allocated across Wisconsin, Evers said in his Dec. 21 press release and Twitter post. The money will be spread out to 204 venues as part of Evers' $140 million program through the state's tourism and entertainment industries.
"These businesses play a critical role in building a strong economy as they bring people together from all over the state and country for weddings, family reunions, business conferences and so much more," Evers said in the press release. "From Belmont to Washington Island, these funds will help bolster more than 200 small businesses and event venues across our state, which are an essential part of our communities and our state's entertainment industries."
The ARPA funds are being administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA).
"By making these funds available, Gov. Evers continues to support economic recovery for our tourism and entertainment industries and the small businesses that are the lifeblood of our economy," DOA Secretary Joel Brennan said in the news release. "So many faced challenges over the last two years, and now as we head into the holiday season, these grants are giving our communities an extra reason to celebrate."
Brennan has been DOA secretary since January 2019.
The state's tourism industry is a major contributor to Wisconsin’s economy, generating more than $22 billion in pre-COVID 2019, according to a Milwaukee Business Journal story published in May of last year. BizTimes reported in June of 2019 that Wisconsin's "creative industries" contribute almost $10 billion to the state's economy each pre-COVID year.
The still ongoing pandemic has been very hard on Wisconsin, with the state losing an estimated $3.8 billion in tourism revenue in 2020, U.S. News reported this past June.
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