By Lisa Baldwin
BATTLE MOUNTAIN - The 21st Century Afterschool Program once again held a family movie night for the Battle Mountain community. "Cars 2" was shown on Nov. 10 at the Battle Mountain Civic Center (BMCC).
The last movie that the program hosted was on Feb. 25, when they showed "Megamind" to over 100 people.
The 21st Century Afterschool Program presents these movie nights as another way to raise the necessary funds to keep the program alive. The program initially received a five-year grant that was fully funded at the beginning when the grant was received. The amount decreases every year after it is given, until the funds simply run out.
This is where they currently find themselves. Those funds have depleted to the point where there is nothing much left to keep the program running, so they must rely on having fundraisers such as the ever-popular movie night.
According to Battle Mountain Elementary School Principal Lorrie Sparks, the Lander County School District is very fortunate to have been afforded the opportunity to bring the 21st Century Afterschool Program into the schools.
It is extremely important for the school district to keep the 21st Century Afterschool Program. Students receive additional help with schoolwork and homework when attending the after-school program. They also go on field trips and take part in special extracurricular activities such as the Battle Mountain PTA's Turkey Bingo that was just recently held on Nov. 17 at the BMCC.
This program is so important because, in today's times with many families having both parents working, the youngsters are often left at home alone while their parents work. The 21st Century After School Program gives these kids a safe place to be while making sure they get their homework finished.
21st Century Afterschool Program Director Jimi Newkirk said she was pleased with the number of people who showed up to watch the wonderfully entertaining movie "Cars 2," which lasted for about an hour and a half. Although there were a few families that came, the majority of those that showed up were youngsters.
Newkirk said she wanted to thank the students from Battle Mountain High School's Honor Society as well as other volunteers for their valuable assistance during the event. Those students included Chelsey Synek, Amber Scovil, Janae Francom, Pooja Bhakta, Allie Legarza, Jessica Jones, Oscar Chavira, Hannah Eason, Kaleah Torgerson, Kylie Squires, Cassandra Rubio, Kendall Clark and Gabby Martinez.
Newkirk said that she would estimate over 100 people showed up at the center to watch the movie, which features the voice talents of such well-known greats as Michael Caine (Finn McMissile), Bonnie Hunt (Sally), Joe Mantegna (Grem), Cheech Marin (Ramone), Owen Wilson (Lightning McQueen) and Larry the Cable Guy (Mater).
The sequel to "Cars," which came out in 2006, "Cars 2" has Lightning McQueen and his trusty tow truck Mater headed to Japan and Europe to compete in the World Grand Prix. Mater gets engulfed in an international espionage scheme, but eventually comes to the rescue and saves the day for his friend Lightning McQueen.
The cost was just $5 per person, and included in that fee was a soda or water, as well as a bag of popcorn. It was a fantastic movie for the whole family to see, and a great way to help support one of the essential local youth programs.
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