Amanda Cheromiah shares a story at a Tucson Storytellers event in August 2019. The Storytellers Project, which Tucson Storytellers is a part of, invites readers to enjoy its annual holiday storytelling event on Wednesday, Dec. 16, in a virtual presentation.

 Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star

Update: The date of the event has changed to June 30.

Like other small-business owners across the country, Lorie Williams Luipold had to close her art gallery and gift shop in Globe for seven weeks during the pandemic following state orders.

But fortunately for Luipold, Local First Arizona, a relief fund for small businesses, offered her a helping hand in the form of a grant.

“Their support was a lifeline at a very critical time for me and I am grateful to them for it,” she said. “Because of their belief in my business and my story, I intend to give back to help other small businesses.”

Businesses big and small across the United States have been ravaged by closures during the pandemic including those in Arizona, particularly small businesses. In response, the Arizona Lottery, in partnership with the Storytellers Project, which the Arizona Daily Star’s Tucson Storytellers is a part of, is sponsoring a live virtual storytelling show to raise money for Local First Arizona.

Online audiences can tune in at 6 p.m. on June 30 to the Arizona Lottery’s Facebook page to listen to personal stories from five local business owners about their origins. Before, during and after the show, those watching can donate directly to the fund at tucne.ws/junestorytellers.

Luipold, 50, of Globe, formerly of Phoenix, opened Splash of Copper Art Gallery & Gifts in December 2019. It features artwork from her family, as well as more than 30 other artists, many of whom she has collaborated with or met at art shows over the years.

“My story is one of family, small-business entrepreneurship, hard work and legacy, and that is why I want to share it with this storytelling show,” she said.

“When you have a dream, it often requires a great amount of risk, hard work and determination. Never give up and never let someone else define your dream. When you believe you can, you can achieve whatever it is that you set your heart and mind to.”

Local First Arizona says 25% of small businesses in Arizona are in jeopardy of closing as a result of the pandemic if something isn’t done to fill the financial void created by a loss of revenue.

The organization saw 2,236 business owners apply for grants between March 25 and April 13, and awarded 305 grants totaling $541,500.

**explicit language can be heard in this video** Read more here at http://tucne.ws/1f7b

But there’s still a great need, with nearly 2,000 grant applications in the same three-week period unfunded. So far, $1.13 million has been raised to fund grants, but Local First Arizona estimates $3 million to $5 million is needed to help save local businesses. That’s why the Arizona Lottery has stepped in to help with sponsorship of this special show in hopes Arizonians watching will contribute to the cause.

“The Arizona Storytellers Project and the Arizona Lottery have a long history of working together to educate and entertain,” said Gregg Edgar, executive director of the Arizona Lottery. “We are proud to be a part of this effort to help fund these micro-businesses that are struggling with COVID-19 while working to drive our economy forward and support our communities.

“The lottery funds more than a dozen vital programs across Arizona, serving our state’s most vulnerable populations, while Storytellers helps tell that story through the inspiring and heartfelt performances of everyday Arizonans.”

Luipold will join Barbora Hladek, 40, of the Unicorn Haven; Justin Campbell, 32, of Urban Connection Project in Phoenix; Jeremy Smith of Central Arizona Supply; and Alfonso Terrazas of Frozen Delight.

“There are so many local small businesses that were already struggling to stay open and COVID-19 made it almost impossible,” Hladek said. “Many were not able to receive or qualify for the Small Business Association funding. We are incredibly grateful that the Arizona Lottery is sponsoring Local First Arizona and their efforts to keep our community thriving.”

Hladek’s Tempe-based business works to give students skills and tools to be better versions of themselves.

“Due to COVID-19, the social rules of our society changed almost overnight,” Hladek said. “As we reopen, we have to figure out what the new unspoken rules and expected behaviors are and how to effectively function in the outside world. Now, more than ever, we need to not only consider ourselves but be able to think about other people and respect their perspectives.”

Campbell’s Urban Connection Project, a business he and his wife founded in 2016, has made its mark on the field of education, particularly on the relationship between teachers and students.

He hopes to convey in his story the importance of teaching and mentoring youth, and how your impact can change the trajectory of a person, their family, their community and ultimately the world.

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