Tri-Lakes area businesses can now apply for grants to help them recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Ogden Newspapers Inc., the parent company of the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and Lake Placid News, has established a $1 million fund to help local businesses get back to full strength by subsidizing local marketing efforts through matching advertising dollars.

“We want to work with local businesses to help them succeed during this challenging time,” said Catherine Moore, publisher of the Enterprise and News. “This grant, along with creative and innovative ideas, could be the initiative to help save our local businesses. Their impact in our communities is enormous, and they need our support to continue to have a vibrant community.”

Starting immediately, any business operating in the Tri-Lakes market can apply for a grant of up to $15,000 at ogdennews.com/community-grant. Each applicant will receive a response to the application within to two business days.

The fund is open to all locally owned and operated businesses impacted by the coronavirus, whether or not they are current advertisers in the Enterprise and/or News. Grant money can be used for local print and online advertising in the Enterprise and News, and on AdirondackDailyEnterprise.com and LakePlacidNews.com, between April 1 and June 30.

“I think that makes a lot of sense in that they understand what folks are going through,” said Patrick Murphy, executive director of the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. “It’s going to help people during this time when they don’t have the cash on hand right now, and also help their relationships (with the local business community).

“I commend them for doing that.”

“I think it’s wonderful,” said James McKenna, CEO of the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism in Lake Placid. “I think it clearly shows that there’s care for the community by the Enterprise and the parent company as well.”

McKenna said these advertising grants will help local businesses “tell the local community what they have going on. I just can’t applaud the Enterprise and its parent company enough.”

He added that the Lake Placid News and Enterprise are “the news source that, locally, everyone looks at … so we should all be supporting it.”

“It’s essential, especially in this time, that our local media — especially the Enterprise and Lake Placid News — continue to get the news in front of our Tri-Lakes population.”

“Advertising in the Enterprise and Lake Placid News is the perfect way to encourage people to buy local,” said Brittany Proulx, president of the Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce. “It’s more important than ever to support our locally owned businesses, and advertising in local newspapers helps businesses stand out and showcase what they have to offer right here at home.”

“A community newspaper is only as strong as the community it serves,” said Robert Nutting, CEO of Ogden Newspapers. “As a family-owned business operating for almost 130 years, we have learned that the only way to pull through the hard times is to stand with your partners and customers. We are proud to offer this assistance to the local businesses that form the backbone of the communities where we publish.”

For more information and to apply, visit ogdennews.com/community-grant.

Ogden Newspapers operates more than 40 daily newspapers across the U.S., plus weekly newspapers and a magazine division.