Today’s teenagers have out on a lot of things:
Dial phones. Dial-up modems. Drive-in movies.
Stephen Rowland is a very involved Staples High School senior. Among other activities he’s a varsity soccer player, serves meals at the Gillespie Center, and is a Homes With Hope youth board member.
A year ago, his father casually mentioned drive-in movies. Intrigued by the concept, Stephen searched online for more.
Kids: This was how America used to roll.
Not long after, the Homes With Hope youth board was casting about for a new, exciting fundraiser.
Bingo!
Producing a pop-up drive-in movie in Westport is not easy. But Stephen and the rest of the youth board found a company with a 40-foot screen, projector and sound system.
Compo Beach — near the kayak launch — seemed like the perfect spot.
Permits were needed, from town commissions. But Stephen and his peers pushed hard.
“The idea of driving up to a movie, not getting out of your car, being comfortable and having fun, is pretty cool,” Stephen says.
So this Saturday (October 1, 7 p.m.), “Ghostbusters” — a 1984 classic chosen for its broad appeal to kids, teenagers and parents — will be shown on what is believed to be Westport’s 1st-ever drive-in movie screen.
The only other better choice would be “Back to the Future.”
(The Westport Cinema Initiative is a partner with this project. The cost is $30 per car — cheap enough so that no one has to hide in the trunk. Besides, proceeds benefit Homes With Hope. Beach stickers are not required. Joey’s by the Shore will be open for food. For more information, click here.)
