Seattle’s University District store Scarecrow Video recently released an S.O.S. — “Save Our Scarecrow” — in an attempt to stay afloat amid a downturn of revenue and an upturn of expenses.
Originally launched as a video rental business during the 1980s, Scarecrow harbored 600 titles — 200 were from owner George Latsios’ personal collection alone.
That inventory has grown into today’s 148,000+ titles, making it one of the country’s largest publicly accessible video collections.
From 1999-2015, Scarecrow Video underwent changes in ownership, technology (VHS tapes to DVDs and now streaming), and business status (for-profit to nonprofit) to keep up with the evolving world of film.
With its ever-evolving archive of unique titles + its state-designated status as a cultural museum, the impacts of Scarecrow Video on the Seattle community aren’t up for debate. However, its future is.
The cinephile safe haven’s mission is simple — to stay put in its current location, provide a livable wage for its staff, and raise enough capital to stabilize the organization.
To do so will take quite the community lift. Here’s how you can help:
- Make a donation toward Scarecrow’s end-of-year fundraising goal of $1.8 million
- Volunteer to help keep the reels spinning
- Purchase a membership and join the community
