J.D. Potié

SHAWVILLE June 22, 2019

On June 22, over 100 Pontiac parents and their children gathered at Armstrong Heritage Farm just outside of Shawville for its first ever glow in the dark movie screening.

Hosted by the Shawville Parent’s Voice and the Shawville Lions Club, the event served as an opportunity for local families to celebrate the end of the school year with a wonderful night on the town while hopefully catching a glimpse of a few fireflies.

Inspired by the Firefly Festival, the event was brought to Shawville by the Lions Club after members contacted people at the Parent’s Voice with the intention of holding an event for kids on the farm grounds at the end of the school year.

Typically regarded as a musical event taking place in various parts across Canada, Lions Club members were intrigued by the idea of putting together Shawville’s very own iteration of it, according to Lions Club member Tom Fahey.

To the delight of the kids in attendance, the featured film was Dr. Seuss’ award-winning picture The Lorax, which sparked many laughs among the youth in the crowd.

With a barbecue, a popcorn machine and a cotton candy maker on site, volunteers sold food and beverages from under the wooden shelter, as kids ran around the area into the long grass fields dispensing all their energy before the movie began.

A number of kids handed out glowsticks in a variety of colours to those hoping to shine as much as possible once the sun came down.

Scheduled for a 7:45 p.m. start, people began to show up at around 7 p.m. setting up their lawn chairs and blankets on the grounds in front of the main stage where the projector and the screen were set up.

With a slower than expected sunset, the screening was delayed until around 8:30 p.m., as people had to wait for skies to darken up in order to see what the projector was showing on the screen.

After a long-awaited start to the movie, Parent’s Voice member Patty Moffat gave an introduction speech thanking everyone for showing up to support the event.

Prior to the screening, the Lions Club presented a short video about Project Lifesaver, which featured its founder Gene Saunders telling the story of a young autistic woman from Virginia who was saved in a matter of minutes after wandering alone in the December cold wearing nothing but a housecoat to keep warm.

Once the movie finally started, the sun hadn’t completely set, making the screens visibility a little less clear than some would have preferred. Nonetheless, everyone seemed relieved to finally get things underway.

Whether it was too early in the year or in the evening, the fireflies didn’t come out as much as everyone might have wanted, according to Fahey.

But that didn’t seem to matter, as the kids were already up way past their respective bedtimes by the time the movie was over.

“Parents wanted to get their kids home,” he said. “A lot of little kids and a late bedtime. Plus, it’s a little early [in the season] for fireflies.”

For Fahey, the event was a special occasion for the town as it brought Shawville itss own version of the Firefly Festival all while bringing many smiles to children’s faces.

“Normally, on a hot, summer night fireflies will come out of the bush,” he said. “And for little kids it’s kind of a magical thing.”

“We do these events for the kids,” he added. “It was a chance for the kids to get out and run around. There’s lots of space there and they enjoyed the movie. It’s just something a little different and a little special at the end of the school year.”

According to Shawville Parent’s Voice member Shelley Heaphy, the best part about the event was the opportunity to celebrate the start of summer with her kids at a fun local activity.

“We also tied it with the end of school,” she said. “So, we can celebrate … and it’s close to home. It’s just nice when there’s anything close to home. That’s why we do as much as we can to have cool events here so no one’s travelling because we travel so much to do stuff in the city.”

The technological equipment was provided courtesy of a number of community organizations, including local tech company WePC doing the tech work, the screen and the projector from the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada and the Grace Community Bible Church who provided the sound system among others, Heaphy said.

Being such a well-attended event in its first edition, the prospect of it bringing it back next year remains a possibility, Fahey said.

“We’ll be talking over the winter,” he said. “This was our first Firefly Festival. So, we’ll see what everybody thinks and there’s a good chance we might do it again next summer.”

Raising close to $400 dollars, all the proceeds will go back to the Shawville Parent’s Voice, Fahey said.