Truth Is, We’re Not Sure How Much Longer We Can Keep This Site Operating Without Asking For Your Support. If You Can Help Us, We Could Really Use It.

Almost exactly a month ago today, we clued you into the frightening reality that our small, feisty, punch-above-its-weight and award-winning media outlet was being forced to face with the ongoing pandemic that continues to ravage our nation and its economy.

Outright, we asked for you, our readers, to please come to our aid — be it in the form of Patreon subscriptions, one-time PayPal donations (to bruce [at] centraltrack [dot] com) and discounted ad buys that could help float us through these trying times.

While we’re endlessly grateful for those of you out there who’ve already answered our call and committed to our cause, the simple truth is this: It hasn’t been enough.

The fact of the matter is that, while we continue waiting to see if the SBA loans and additional grants that we’ve applied for are fulfilled, we’re simply not sure for how much longer we can keep this operation afloat. Best case scenario, we’ve only got enough in our coffers to keep things going a few more weeks.

So, that in mind, here we are, once again asking for our readers’ support.

As before, we are seeking assistance in three ways:

  1. You can become a patron of our Patreon account. A base-level contribution here starts at just $5 a month, and even that support alone will go a long way toward making sure our staff and freelancers are taken care of. Plus, we think some of the perks we’re offering are pretty cool! Please take a second to check them out.
  2. You can get one hell of a deal on an advertising buy for your business. Our readership is spiking during these times — we’re talking increases of more than 200 percent. If your business is still active throughout all this, now is a great time to introduce your brand to our readers — or to just better familiarize them with your offerings. We’re even sweetening our deal here to further entice potential advertisers: Until this pandemic is under control, we’re offering any new advertiser with Central Track a free two months of ads for every six-month, paid-up-front commitment. It’s a win-win, we think: You get a great deal on spreading the word about your business, and we get to keep our efforts humming along while putting audiences in front of your messaging. Head to our advertising page for more information about this offer.
  3. You can just donate directly to us via PayPal or Zelle if you feel so inclined. If possible, we’d prefer you select one of the above two options of supporting us — just so that you can get a return on your investment. But, at the same time, we also realize that beggars can’t be choosers. If you feel so compelled to donate to our cause without getting anything in return beyond the warm-and-fuzzies, we won’t turn you away. Feel free to send any donations you’d like to bruce [at] centraltrack [dot] com.

Please know that we take no pleasure in coming to you all so hat-in-hand like this.

We know that these are trying times for everyone, and we know that you’re being hit up left and right to donate to worthy causes at the moment.

But if you appreciate our transition to coronavirus coverage over these last few weeks; if you appreciate the coverage we’ve ever provided your band or restaurant or business or brand or event; if you appreciate how hard we’ve diligently worked over the last eight-plus years to hopefully enrich your life in North Texas and help you live it in a more informed manner; or even if you just appreciate the laughs, levity or fun facts we’ve provided you from time to time, we ask that you now also remember that, prior to these extenuating circumstances, we’ve never asked you for anything in return for our efforts.

The plan was never to ask anything in return for all that, either. But the plan has been thrown out the window. The plan has been completely and utterly fucked.

We just want to keep doing what we do, covering North Texas the way it deserves to be covered, wholly independently and without any external forces dictating a slant to our editorial operations. If that notion means anything to you — anything at all, and it should — then we implore you to please support our cause.

If you can help at all, it would not only mean that our lights get kept on, but that we can continue spreading the word on the efforts of those who are also struggling in the community.

It would mean everything, really.

Thanks for your consideration.

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