GoFundMe Campaign Launched For Philadelphia's 2300 Arena

A GoFundMe campaign to save Philadelphia's 2300 Arena was created earlier this month.

The 2300 Arena also known as the ECW Arena has held many wrestling events since 1993.

The arena held the first-ever ECW PPV, "Barely Legal," countless Impact, MLW, and ROH Wrestling events, and even EVOLVE 108.

The venue needs help to stay afloat this winter and beyond. As of this writing, $1,240 has been raised so far. The goal is $100,000.

Below you can read more about the campaign:

THE TIME IS NOW: HELP US STAND TALL

It is with a heavy heart that the 2300 Arena is asking for help from our friends, family, and supporters, with our hat in hand when it counts the most. We need your support to stay afloat this winter and continue our 13-year legacy.

This has obviously been our most difficult year ? Covid-19 has hit us extraordinarily hard due to the nature of our business.

OUR HISTORY

The 2300 Arena is an independently owned sports & entertainment venue located in the heart of South Philadelphia. Many of you know us from decades ago when we were called The "World Famous" ECW Arena. You have grown with us during our most transformative years where we have taken professional wrestling, boxing, MMA & jiu-jitsu to new levels of excellence in live sports and entertainment. Even more recently, we successfully expanded to host live music, food festivals, and corporate & private events, spanning galas and weddings. 2300 Arena has truly become a state-of-the-art entertainment venue now entering its 13th year of operations.

COVID-19 AND THE IMPACT ON 2300 ARENA

Since March, we held on tightly to overcome a barrage of never-ending obstacles, surviving by putting our heads down and going to work with the mindset to refuse defeat. We have overcome what used to seem like the impossible, reconceptualizing 2300 over and over again until we got it right, and four weeks ago were finally given the opportunity to open our doors and we followed all Covid-19 protocols including the 25% capacity rule of our 1,200-capacity space, limiting us to 300 indoors.

There was no lack of interest. Our calendars were booked within days. Promoters were eager to get back to work along with athletes and entertainers excited for the chance to perform again. This short-lived success thus far was all thanks to our client and employee dedication and support, and mostly to our loyal guests. It was an amazing feeling to see people walk through front doors again reminding us it was all worth it.

We have looked over the past four weeks of operations at "reduced capacity" with a bare minimum of expectations in order to survive. We anticipate this winter to be our last hurdle to get over between the long dark winter months eliminating our outside capacity and the currant six-week shut down before we can once again open our doors next season and thrive. We see the light at the end of the tunnel and have no doubt that we can rebound from all of this.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Our hard work and diligence won't be enough ? we need your support so we can be on the other side of this stronger than ever.

We ask for your help to save the 2300 arena aka ECW Arena. How?

1. Every dollar counts. Contribute and help us take it to next level of reopening successfully. Please help us keep this legacy alive!!

2. Flex your social muscle. Share our gofundme campaign to your network via social, email, text, etc. #save2300

3. Point business our way! We rent the space out to everything from weddings, galas, award shows, live televised music performances, sporting events, and even TV production.

DONOR PERKS:

$200+ ? Gladiator: As a sign of our eternal gratitude, you'll get a personalized plaque on our 2300 Arena donor wall, plus a thank you on the site.

$100 to $199? Hats off: You'll receive a 2300 Arena branded winter hat, plus a thank you on our site.

up to $99? Hero Spotlight: You'll receive a thank you on our site.

Thank you to all who support us in these times, we will be forever grateful.
- Christy Bottie and Roger Artigiani

Those who would like to donate can click here.