I have covered some big stories in my more than 40 years as a journalist. Hurricane Katrina, famine in Sudan, riots in Los Angeles, the space shuttle Challenger disaster, a tornado in Texas that destroyed an entire town, and mass murders, but none of those stories comes even close to the size, scope and impact of the coronavirus story.

To those of you whose families have been impacted by the pandemic, I am so sorry for the pain, suffering and sorrow you have had to endure.

To all the first responders in our communities and to all the health care workers that live among us, thank you for your courage and dedication. You risk your lives every day to take care of the rest of us.

As this pandemic has spread in our region and around the world, it has occurred to me that one of the most effective weapons to fight the virus is information. Accurate, reliable and up-to-date information about how it is impacting our community.

I am so proud of the employees of The Day who have worked around the clock from their kitchen tables or any spare spot in their homes to cover the pandemic. It is in a time like this that our value as a locally owned, independent media company shines through.

And we know that our coverage has resonated with you, our readers. Print and digital subscriptions have increased, traffic on theday.com has increased dramatically.

At the same time, the pandemic has decimated our ability to generate enough revenue to support the cost of our newsgathering. Advertising revenue has plummeted. We are in the same situation as other locally owned small businesses.

One thing about our ownership that is different from most media companies and, for that matter, most small businesses is that we donate our profits every year to the community.

The Day is owned by a split-interest trust, which operates the company and supports the Bodenwein Public Benevolent Foundation. This arrangement ensures that the newspaper will remain independent and that profits from the newspaper will be distributed to nonprofit organizations that help needy children, families and individuals and that support the arts. Since its inception, the foundation has distributed more than $12 million.

We have always supported others in the community and now we are asking for your support.

About a week ago, we did something we have never done before. We asked you to consider making a donation to support our journalism. We set up a donation page in conjunction with the Local Media Association, which created a 501(c) 3 nonprofit.

We had no idea what the result would be.

Your response has been overwhelming. While your generosity is humbling, the comments many of you have left on the donation page has touched and sustained us. It is a confirmation of how important what we do is to all of you.

So thank you from all of us at The Day if you have donated. If you haven’t, I’m asking you to consider it by showing your support and making a donation at www.givebutter.com/theday.

We need each other now. Together, we will get through this.

Thank you,

Timothy C. Dwyer, Day president and publisher