Most men would take a well deserved break from fundraising after spending the better part of a year raising $50,000 to save the iconic Evans City Cemetery chapel from “Night of the Living Dead.” But as many of us have learned Gary Streiner is not like most men. He cares about the history and culture of the region he lives and the movie industry. Many people in this world say they care but Gary backs up his words with energy and effort that I can only dream of having. Gary rallied his troops after he learned that the Hollywood Theater in Dormont, Pennsylvania faced an uphill battle to upgrade to DCP projection and that if the goal isn’t met the possibility of the Hollywood Theater closing was a reality.

On Saturday March 2nd, 2013 Gary and his supporters put on an event at the Hollywood Theater that raised over $8,000 towards the $65,000 goal for the Hollywood Theaters digital conversion. It was a day full of events and a showcase of many talented people. Too many to mention in this article but some of the highlights of the day were:
Live music on stage that included a talented lineup including Vincent Price’s grandson.
Autographs and a Q&A with stars of Night of the Living Dead. Those in attendance were Kyra Schon, Russ Streiner, Ella Mae Smith, Joe Unitas, Paula Richards and of course Gary.
A silent auction with tons of cool items that any horror fan would proudly display in their home.
Ticket holders went home with a print of the original artwork for this event created by Terry Callen of Screaming Brain Studio.

But the main highlight of the day was Night of the Living Dead showing on the Hollywood’s big screen. It was shown in 35mm projection and it reminded me how great film can be and despite push for digital we need to preserve this type of movie viewing experience.
As the night ended and I said goodbye to friends old and new and I left with a great feeling. I’ve always felt like the horror film community is made up of some of the nicest and most caring people. This event validated my feelings. Gary is the ringleader but there are many volunteers that have helped his chapel efforts and now the Hollywood. They share the same passion as Gary and the desire help preserve important landmarks. Without all of these people the chapel would probably be a pile of rubble today and the Hollywood Theater in Dormont would not be $8,000 closer to its goal.

The fight for the Hollywood Theater isn’t over but Saturday was a huge leap forward. You can learn more about the theater and the fundraising efforts by visiting www.thehollywooddormont.org
To keep track of how construction at the Chapel is coming along and keep tabs on Gary and his army of supporters you can go to www.fixthechapel.com

Rich Dalzotto

Reporter

East Coast Horror Group