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Date: 6/30/2020
SOUTHWICK – In order to raise funds for its annual fireworks show, the Southwick Civic Fund will set up a mobile drive-in movie theater at the Wick 338 starting on July 24 for eight different showings between the summer and fall after receiving approval from the Southwick Select Board at its June 23 meeting.
Southwick Civic Fund President Joe Deedy said that because of the pandemic now is the perfect time to start holding outdoor movie showings. He said, “I talked to Rick about doing this for four or five years, and then once we found out we could do it mobile it just made more sense. With the pandemic and everything going on people are just dying to go out.”
During the select board meeting, Rick Johnson, Wick 338’s president, said that he submitted a similar request to the one he submitted when seeking approval to begin motocross practices, which started up four weeks prior to publication. “It’s very much in keeping with what we put together in our proposal for the Safe to Ride program itself, but now it will be for the public,” he said.
In order to listen to the movies, Johnson said residents can tune into the audio with their FM radios.
He added that the Civic Fund will have volunteers to help run the events. He said, “The Southwick Civic Fund has assured us that they will have the volunteer staff to get this running and we’ll have our people there as well.”
In addition to showing movies at Wick 338, Deedy said that they will also be showing movies at the Westfield River Brewing Company and at the lake so residents can watch movies from their boats, since the screen is part of a mobile truck.
Deedy said that the Civic Fund will be collecting donations for the movie showings, but viewers do not have to pay to get in. “We would like everyone to donate at least $20 for the movie, but if they don’t want to they don’t have to,” he said.
He added that the Civic Fund narrowed down the selection to 20 movies from a list of around 350 movies eligible for showing at the drive-in. The first movie being shown is “Sing,” which is an animated movie for the kids and adults. Deedy said that they will also be showing “American Graffiti” at some point as well but will announce the full list of movies later.
While Deedy said at the meeting that the funds would be going to the town’s fireworks display that usually happens around the third week of July every year, the display will be put on hold until after the current drought passes over. He said, “We’re in no mood to aggravate the Fire Department, who are already battling a brush fire, with the current conditions so we are looking to have the fireworks in late summer or early fall.”
He added that he hoped there is enough money to support other events and non-profits in the town. “I think it’s a win-win, we’re trying to raise money for fireworks, our Thanksgiving and Christmas. And quite honestly there’s a few non-profits in town between the food pantry and others that we could raise money for,” Deedy said.