GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) – The entertainment industry has taken a major hit during the pandemic with large events not allowed. One Grand Island sound and lighting business will be lighting up the sky Tuesday with a message for congress.

Sure Sound and Lighting Inc. has had to keep their doors closed since March. Normally, they would be traveling the country running productions for festivals, fairs and concerts. Now they need the federal government to step in and help keep them afloat.

“It’s getting pretty desperate. We’re within probably 30 days of having to start making layoffs to be able to keep the business alive,” Vice President Jeremy Wann said.

Wann has been with Sure Sound and Lighting for nearly two decades. At this time of year the shelves at the warehouse are normally empty with all their equipment being used at events. But the full warehouse will be lit up red with a message to their congressmen from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. The color is to represent the industry being on red alert financially.

“We’re a very important portion of our economy in both the local and national field. We need to not be overlooked any longer and we need help,” Wann said.

Other venues across the country will be doing the same as a way to urge congress to pass the Restart Act to provide more funding to keep businesses from closing and paying employees.

“We make up 12 million jobs in the U.S. between stagehands, performers, people like us that do the tech side of things, catering, hotels, travel, all the things you don’t really think of that have been shuttered because of this,” Wann said.

The Grand Island business did receive some PPP funds, which is why they have avoided full-time employment layoffs so far. Only recently have they been able to work events in the region but Labor day marks the decline of the normal season rush.

In order to get some work done, Sure Sound and Lighting have been in talks with venues on how they plan to handle the slow reopening of some states.

“We’re working diligently with all of our venues to come up with safety protocols for both the audience members and the people behind the scenes to make sure that everybody is staying safe while working and enjoying the event,” Wann said.

He also said they know it could be another six months before large scale events could be considered again so they need this financial assistance to last until things are back to normal.

Copyright 2020 KSNB. All rights reserved.