Students set stage for drive-in film fundraiser
Lana Bober, a student at Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business, faced a dilemma when the fashion show she was helping to organize in March was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The show, held annually, raised in excess of $40,000 for the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation. And as the president of Casa Cares, a non-profit organization comprised of student associations from Concordia and Mcgill, Bober’s mandate was to devise an alternative.
Following much soul-searching, a charity drive-in movie night will be held July 18 in the parking lot of the Royalmount development off the Décarie Expressway near Highway 40.
Two films will be screened: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (6:15 p.m.), followed by Mean Girls (9:15 p.m.).
Social distancing rules will be in effect and food trucks will be on site.
“We did a lot of brainstorming, trying to figure out how can we (compensate) for some of the (fashion show) loss and find a way to raise funds,” said Bober, a marketing major with a minor in management, and in her second year with Casa Cares. “This is super cool that we actually can do something.”
“I’m hoping we’ll have a really good turnout, considering so many Concordia and Mcgill students have been trapped inside, doing online school,” she added. “They’ll want to have a little night out and have fun.”
Casa Cares teamed with Total Events & Entertainment, a Montreal-based event-management company that handled much of the logistics.
“The fact we’ve all been isolated at home, we haven’t seen our friends in such a long time,” said Lea Sultanem, president of the Mcgill Pediatric Fundraising Committee. “We’ve been stuck maybe watching Netflix at home. Movies are interesting at home, but what about a movie, outdoors, with your friends?
“Just the aspect of getting into your car and going somewhere else for an evening out. I think it’s going to be very beneficial for everyone.”
Now that movie theatres have reopened and production companies are beginning to release films, Total Events was responsible for securing the licensing rights to screen both movies. An LED screen has been installed on the site and will be positioned in such a way to show the early movie before sunset.
“I know a lot of students are feeling summer’s cancelled,” Bober said. “We love this event because it’s bringing people together.”
The Royalmount parking lot that night will have a capacity of approximately 220 cars. Tickets are being sold individually for each movie, the price range varying by the number of people in each vehicle.
The price is $30 for one or two people, $50 for three or more. There are also a limited number of VIP spots available at $60.
As a former swim instructor who has worked at pools and summer camps, Bober said the Montreal Children’s Foundation has been something close to her heart.
Businesses are being encouraged to participate with the fundraising as sponsors.
For more information, contact Elena Sarsam at 438-990-7327 or elena.sarsam@casacares.com.
Tickets can be purchased at bit.ly/31g3y8m.