The five movies that will be featured for these Community Day screenings include A Christmas Story, Elf, Gremlins, The Polar Express and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Participating Cineplex theatres will open at 9 a.m. local time on the morning of Dec. 7, providing tickets to screening on a first-come, first-serve basis, with the screenings starting at 9:30 a.m. A select assortment of concession items like popcorn, soft drinks and candy will be available for $2.50 each at this time, with all proceeds going towards Boys And Girls Clubs Of Canada. There will be 158 theatres across Canada participating.
"We have a long history at Cineplex of giving back to our local communities and have proudly contributed millions of dollars to non-profit organizations across the country," said Ellis Jacob, president and CEO, Cineplex, in a statement. "This year, we are excited to host our ninth annual Community Day fundraiser in support of Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada and their work in creating opportunities for children and youth across the country to connect, learn, play and have fun."
Started in 1929 as the Boys Club Federation of Canada, the organization became the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada in 1974. The organization's goal is, "To provide safe, supportive places where children and youth can experience new opportunities, overcome barriers, build positive relationships, and develop confidence and skills for life."
Through a wide variety of programs the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada provide support for young people in areas like healthy and active living, learning and career development, leadership and youth engagement. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada also does things like fund scholarships and estimate they service more than 200,000 young people in 700 communities across Canada.
Free screenings to support charities is a regular feature for Cineplex. In the past they've also supported organizations such as the World Wildlife Foundation and WE Charity.
Watch the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada's "Learn Create Grow" video
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