TUCSON, Arizona — There's a somewhat controversial saying that says, "Everyone gets a trophy." But, what happens if no one can get one? That's what happened to Tuller Trophy during the pandemic.
"To have it shut down in March was just catastrophic," said Howard Tuller, owner of Tuller Trophy.
The Barstool Fund, a charitable arm of Arizona Bowl sponsor Barstool Sports, granted Tuller Trophy and twenty five other southern Arizona businesses who were affected by the pandemic a total of $1.2 million dollars.
"Imagine having a business for 24 months with no sales receipts and the bills coming in," said Bill Netherton, the of Professional Bartenders Unlimited. He says the money will help him pay down his debt.
"I don't want to cry over it, but I tell you as a business owner, you work so hard but it's about the people who are around you."
To make matters worse for Tuller Trophy, the world shut down during its busiest season, and a car also crashed into its store.
"In our case, it was a double whammy," added Tuller.
Today's event where local businesses shared their appreciation for the funds was at the Stillwell House, which was also a Barstool Fund recipient.
If any one business or group knows about the affects of the pandemic, it's the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl itself, which had its 2021 game canceled and its 2020 game played with no fans due to the pandemic.
"We understand what thee funds mean to you," said Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl executive director Kym Adair.
"We are on the right trajectory," said Netherton. "We are headed up, and we couldn't be more excited."
"A gift like this was heaven sent," said Tuller.
