Lauren and Vaughn Goettler know how important independent, trustworthy journalism is for a community.

This week, the couple showed their appreciation by making a $2,000 donation to The Lake Report — Niagara-on-the-Lake's first independent newspaper — and they're encouraging others to do so as well.

“An independent press has long been heralded as the sign of a strong and viable community,” the Goettlers said in a statement to the paper with the donation.

“This speaks to the heart of having The Lake Report remaining strong and healthy, to be the independent voice of truth, reason, fairness and information for all of NOTL,”  they said.

“In a time when advertising revenues are down, The Lake Report has supported small businesses that have struggled through COVID by providing free advertorial space,” the Goettlers noted.

“These businesses are the cornerstone of our community. It is also important to note that not all residents utilize the internet as their source of news, especially local news, and some people just simply enjoy thumbing through a newspaper as a form of relaxation.”

The couple said it's important to them to see community news delivered to all residents of NOTL.

“These are some of the reasons why Lauren and I have chosen to support The Lake Report and we are hoping that by doing so, it will inspire others to do the same. Fifty dollars per year, which is less than $1 per week, or less than a cup of coffee per week, will make certain that NOTL continues to have this important source of community news available.”

Editor's note: The Lake Report sincerely thanks Lauren and Vaughn Goettler for their generous donation. It's true that in 2021, it takes the support of the community to make sure local news continues to thrive and bring relevant, timely and important information to our town. It's with support from the dozens of small businesses that advertise every week, and residents who make donations, that we are able to offer our paper free to every resident and business in NOTL. Since we launched The Lake Report in 2018, we've encouraged people to contribute a small amount to support our publication. If every household in NOTL paid just $1 per week to receive the news, our paper would be able to hire more reporters and continue to make the best, highest-quality journalism available to NOTL readers. We continue to ask our dedicated readers to consider this voluntary “subscription” of $50 per year. Anyone who is interested in supporting The Lake Report can drop off donations to our office, or send an e-transfer to advertising@niagaranow.com.