Baltimore Broadcast Media Report on AAEDC Activating VOLT Fund to Assist Flooded Businesses

January 12, 2024

All four Baltimore area broadcast media outlets aired segments reporting on AAEDC activating the VOLT Disaster Recovery Relief Program, and thereby allowing flooded business to apply for up to $50,000 in grant funding beginning on January 16, following Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley’s signing of a City State of Emergency declaration on January 12.

The widespread coverage included:

• WMAR (ABC Baltimore): Casino money to help flooded businesses in Annapolis
• WBAL (NBC Baltimore): Impact Day: More heavy rain in forecast Friday night for Maryland
• WJZ (CBS Baltimore): State of emergency to be issued as Annapolis City Dock businesses cleanup from major flooding
• WJZ (CBS Baltimore): Annapolis residents, businesses brace for next round of strong storms
• WBFF (FOX Baltimore): Annapolis mayor declares state of emergency after historic storm surge

All coverage included details on eligibility for and requirements of the Maryland Department of Commerce-funded Program, which will offer grants of up to $50,000 to help small, minority-owned, woman-owned, and Veteran-owned businesses and non-profits located in the City of Annapolis recover from the damage and pause in operations sustained from the flooding experienced on January 9 and 10, 2024.

Multiple online articles included the following commentary from AAEDC President & CEO Amy Gowan:

“When unexpected events like this occur, business owners often have to wait many weeks, or even months, to receive any level of funding. We know that this wait can truly make or break many small businesses, so the goal of this program and of our team is to provide them with critical recovery funding as quickly as possible.”

Notably, the WMAR segment highlighted the source of the VOLT Fund funds, video lottery terminal revenues, and included video of Gowan delivering remarks during the press conference where the State of Emergency was declared.

Annapolis Patch covers AAEDC activation of VOLT program to assist flooded businesses in Annapolis »