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Food & Film for a Cause raises nearly $20K for local non-profits
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Suzzane McCormick (GM, Island Cinemas), Missy Neu (United Way), Rob Styn (GM, Glynn Place Stadium Cinemas), Brian Dolan (Boys & Girls Club), Donna Davis (American Red Cross), Jeff Montaigne (Coastal Kitchen), Ansley Scoville (Georgia Theatre Company)
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St. Simons Island, GA., November 1, 2011 – Georgia Theatre Company is pleased to announce the results from their eighth annual “Film & Food for a Cause” event. The event, held on Sunday, September 18, raised over $19,612 to be split between the United Way of Coastal Georgia, the Boys & Girls Clubs of SE Georgia, and the American Red Cross of SE Georgia. For a twelve dollar advance donation, each customer received admission to the film of their choice, a special popcorn and soft-drink combo, and a packet of valuable coupons from participating restaurants. In addition, all proceeds from ticket and concession purchases on event day were generously donated.
Glynn Place Stadium Cinemas in Brunswick and Island Cinemas on St. Simons were joined by Buffalo Wild Wings, Coastal Kitchen, Halyard’s, and Tramici’s. Media partners and other sponsors for this year included Watermarks Printing, Staples, The Lighthouse 89.3, Magic 105.9 & The Wave 104.1, MarMac Communications The FAN 790 & Newstalk 1230, WAY Radio 90.7, and Qantum Communications B 92.7, Fox 107.7, WYNR 102.5, & 103Q and Five Guys Burgers & Fries.
Georgia Theatre Company thanks everyone who came out to the movies on event day and for their generosity in helping to make this day special for the deserving charities in our local area!
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Film & Food for a Cause Event History
In response to the tragic events that changed our country on Tuesday, 9/11, 2001, the movie exhibition industry (comprised of over 500 motion picture theatre companies located throughout the United States) made a historic decision to pull together and combine efforts to do something to help the victims’ families. Two weeks after 9/11, on Tuesday, September 25th, 2001, the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) organized an unprecedented one day event (with a collaborative effort of over 20,000 participating movie screens nationwide and 9 participating motion picture distribution companies) with 100% of ticket and concession sales being donated for “Victims’ Benefit Day at the Movies” to help meet the needs resulting from this tragedy. Over $5 million was raised in that single day.
One of those participating theatre companies was Georgia Theatre Company, a third-generation family-owned film exhibitor, based out of St. Simons Island, GA. William Jenkins Stembler, the grandson of the predecessor company’s founder, William K. Jenkins, wanted to continue the practice of giving back to the community and on a Tuesday in September, 2004, the first “Film & Food for a Cause” event was held at Glynn Place Cinemas in Brunswick, GA., and at Island Cinemas on St. Simons Island, GA. All ticket and concession receipts that day directly benefited Coastal Medical Access Project (serving Camden, Glynn and McIntosh counties), the Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Georgia, and the United Way of Coastal Georgia. The basic premise behind “Film & Food for a Cause” was a collaborative effort between the two movie theatres and participating restaurants where (with the ticket stub from the movie) a customer received a discount off of their meals at the restaurants.
That first year, $4,000 was raised and donated to the local charities (with the two GTC theatres and two local restaurants participating). In 2005 the event was expanded to include 9 GTC theatres and 27 restaurants and raised over $7,000.
In 2006, the basic format was changed from a Tuesday night to a Sunday and also included a packet of restaurant coupons given to customers making a donation to the event--resulting in over $37,000 raised with 6 GTC theatres and 20 restaurants working for the cause. 2007 yielded over $47,000 (utilizing 8 GTC theatres and 29 restaurants). In 2008 over $64,000 was raised courtesy of 11 GTC theatres and 42 restaurants. 2009 set an all-time record with 13 GTC theatres and 38 restaurants participating and raised an unprecedented amount in excess of $106,800. 2010 was still strong even in tough economic times with 14 GTC theatres and 31 restaurants involved and raised an impressive $90,900.
These donated dollar amounts include 100% of all advance ticket sales, regular admission tickets on event date, all concession sales on event date and any extra “fishbowl” donations made at the theatres.
This year, our staffs will again have the opportunity to donate an hour of their time to the cause. It should also be noted that although Georgia Theatre Company donates 100% of the money raised to the local communities each year, over $45,000 was spent by GTC to cover normal operating costs for the participating theatres—for last year’s event alone.
2011 marks the eighth year for this charitable event with 15 GTC theatres involved in this great cause inspired by the events that changed our country ten years ago.