Have a heart and receive one in return
Saba Naseem
Issue date: 2/6/09 Section: Lifestyles
Valentine's Day is coming up, and with just two dollars, movie-goers can share their love with the needy children of this community by purchasing a gold heart pin.
Malco Theatres is participating in the National Gold Heart Campaign to benefit the Variety Club, an organization that is devoted to helping underprivileged and physically challenged children. The campaign was established in 1991 by Marsha Rae Ratcliff, a Variety International board member who had the idea of creating heart-shaped gold pins to raise funds for the Variety Club. Since then, the Variety Club has partnered with various motion picture studios to design a heart pin that incorporates a movie or movie character from that studio, according to a press release.
Past designs have been created around the movies "Eragon," "Zathura," "Spiderman," "E.T.", "Shrek" and "Fantasia." This year's design features Alex the lion from "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa."
Pins are available for purchase for $2 at all 32 Malco sites in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Missouri. All proceeds go directly to the U.S. Variety Club to be distributed to children's organizations within the local theater's community. Former recipients have included LeBonheur Children's Hospital, Arkansas Children's Hospital, Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital, the Shriners, the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation and other organizations dedicated to helping children, according to a press release.
"I think this campaign is a great idea, especially if this money is going to help kids," said Kate Dickinson, a freshman art major. "A lot of times, we forget that there are so many kids out there that don't have the same advantages as us, and it's a nice reminder that maybe we shouldn't take everything for granted."
The Variety Club of Memphis, Tent 20, was chartered on Sept. 30, 1938, by a group of showmen led by M.A. Lightman Sr., founder of the Malco Theatres. Their first project was the Mother's Milk Bank, "which saved the lives of many babies whose mothers were unable to supply them with proper nourishment," according to a press release. Since then, Tent 20 has raised millions of dollars in support of hundreds of charities.
Many children and families need help, and U.S. Variety is there to give it to them. Logan, 4, suffers from cerebral palsy and is unable to communicate, walk or participate in activities of others in his age group.
His mother was having difficulty taking him anywhere because of the heaviness of his wheelchair. But because of the charity of U.S Variety, he was provided with a lightweight wheelchair that allowed his mother to easily move him around, according to the U.S. Variety Club Web site.
Other children like Logan will benefit from these donations at Malco Theatres across the country.
Malco Theatres is participating in the National Gold Heart Campaign to benefit the Variety Club, an organization that is devoted to helping underprivileged and physically challenged children. The campaign was established in 1991 by Marsha Rae Ratcliff, a Variety International board member who had the idea of creating heart-shaped gold pins to raise funds for the Variety Club. Since then, the Variety Club has partnered with various motion picture studios to design a heart pin that incorporates a movie or movie character from that studio, according to a press release.
Past designs have been created around the movies "Eragon," "Zathura," "Spiderman," "E.T.", "Shrek" and "Fantasia." This year's design features Alex the lion from "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa."
Pins are available for purchase for $2 at all 32 Malco sites in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Missouri. All proceeds go directly to the U.S. Variety Club to be distributed to children's organizations within the local theater's community. Former recipients have included LeBonheur Children's Hospital, Arkansas Children's Hospital, Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital, the Shriners, the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation and other organizations dedicated to helping children, according to a press release.
"I think this campaign is a great idea, especially if this money is going to help kids," said Kate Dickinson, a freshman art major. "A lot of times, we forget that there are so many kids out there that don't have the same advantages as us, and it's a nice reminder that maybe we shouldn't take everything for granted."
The Variety Club of Memphis, Tent 20, was chartered on Sept. 30, 1938, by a group of showmen led by M.A. Lightman Sr., founder of the Malco Theatres. Their first project was the Mother's Milk Bank, "which saved the lives of many babies whose mothers were unable to supply them with proper nourishment," according to a press release. Since then, Tent 20 has raised millions of dollars in support of hundreds of charities.
Many children and families need help, and U.S. Variety is there to give it to them. Logan, 4, suffers from cerebral palsy and is unable to communicate, walk or participate in activities of others in his age group.
His mother was having difficulty taking him anywhere because of the heaviness of his wheelchair. But because of the charity of U.S Variety, he was provided with a lightweight wheelchair that allowed his mother to easily move him around, according to the U.S. Variety Club Web site.
Other children like Logan will benefit from these donations at Malco Theatres across the country.
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