Free 'Polar Express' showings to return to Zelie
Free showings of “The Polar Express” will once again pull into the station at the Strand Theatre in Zelienople on Dec. 4, courtesy of the Glade Run Foundation.
The foundation is bringing back the holiday event after a hiatus due to COVID-19 in 2020, with masks now required for safety.
To participate, families should reserve free tickets ahead of time for the 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. showings of the movie. Admission is free, and in lieu of a ticket price, the Glade Run Foundation asks that families bring a gift or gift card for the Christmas Angel Program. Items to be donated should be unwrapped and will be collected at the door.
Children are encouraged to wear their pajamas to the event. Snacks, raffles, and a visit from Santa Claus will round out the afternoon.
“We are so pleased to bring back this wonderful community event,” Steven Green, Glade Run president and CEO, said in a statement. “Throughout the pandemic, we have continued to grow and serve more children and families. The event will help us provide needed items this holiday season to those who would otherwise do without. We’re grateful for the generosity of our community.”
Sheila Talarico, vice president of Development and External Affairs at Glade Run Lutheran Services, said Glade Run was looking forward to bringing the showings back.
“It really has become somewhat of a community tradition,” she said. “For as long as I can remember, although it is a free event, we’ve ‘sold out’ of all our seats and had a waiting list. People are really looking forward to doing something normal to kick off the holiday season again.”
Item donations will benefit the foundation’s Christmas Angel Program, which provides needed items for the approximately 5,000 individuals that Glade Run serves each year.
“We have individual kids, adults, families (who) we serve that need the most basic of things, often times,” Talarico said. “It’s a way for us to get those things, as well as things that will really help our kids reach their therapeutic goals, whether it’s developing their social skills with things like board games and basketballs, or emotional management and de-stressing with things like coloring books. All of those things are really valuable tools for people who might not be able to afford to have them.”
Talarico said the event also helps foster a spirit of holiday giving.
“We’re really excited,” she said. “Not only does it help us to bring in the items that we need during the holiday season, it’s a nice way to teach kids about philanthropy and generosity and giving back, and it’s a great way to start off the holiday season. It’s accessible to everybody.
“We have some of our students who come to it with their families. Even the simplest gifts are great.”
Tickets can be reserved in advance at Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-polar-express-screening-tickets-208907958327, by emailing cmartin@gladerun.org, or by calling 724-452-4453, ext. 1277.
