PRESS RELEASE

Abalabix Books Awarded $10,000 Backing Small Businesses Grant from American
Express and Main Street America

Crystal Lake, IL — February 17, 2026 — Abalabix Books, is a small, independent bookstore and has been selected as a recipient of a Backing Small Businesses Enhancement Grant from American Express and Main Street America. The grant will provide Abalabix Books with $10,000 in funding that will go towards building up their inventory, creating some custom built cabinetry, funding a Sweepstakes marketing promotion through the NW Herald, and to support
a community postcard mailing project.

Diane Steverson, owner of Abalabix Books, was overwhelmed when she got the news that the bookstore had been awarded a grant. “I am so grateful to be recognized by American Express and Main Street America. Our bookstore exists in a historic downtown community with a wide variety of small businesses that work hard every day for their customers. This grant will go a long way towards helping us provide an even better bookstore experience for our community.”

Since its inception, Backing Small Businesses has distributed more than $14 million in grants to over 1,600 small business owners across the country. For more information about the Backing Small Businesses grant program, visit https://mainstreet.org/about/partner-collaborations/backing-small-businesses.

A full list of this year’s recipients is available at https://mainstreet.org/the-latest/news/announcing-the-2025-backing-small-businesses-grant-recipients.

About Abalabix Books
Abalabix Books is located on the parking lot side of Brink Street Market in beautiful downtown Crystal Lake, and is a small, independent bookstore that seeks to become a “third space” in the community where customers can gather to talk, rest, relax, read, and learn. Learn more at abalabixbooks.com or @abalabixbooks21 on Instagram and Facebook.

About Backing Small
This program marks the latest effort in American Express’ Backing Small Businesses work to equip small businesses with the resources to grow and innovate today, prepare for tomorrow, and overcome everyday challenges big and small. Other Backing Small Businesses programs include Backing Historic Small Restaurants and Backing International Small Restaurants.

About Main Street America
Main Street America leads a movement committed to strengthening communities through preservation-based economic development in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. With a network of more than 1,600 programs, Main Street America has helped generate over $100 billion in reinvestment, 180,000 new businesses, and 1.4 million jobs since 1980. Learn more at mainstreet.org.