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Movie Under The Stars Plays To A Minion Crowd
movie night
Youngsters were busy with Minion crafts as they awaited the showing of the blockbuster hit Saturday night at Cottles Woods Park. The free movie night summer event is hosted monthly by the Center for Human Services, Oakdale. Teresa Hammond/The Leader

Oakdale families enjoyed an evening of mild weather as they gathered in Cottle’s Woods Park on Saturday night, July 16 for a special viewing of Minions, presented by Center for Human Services.

Each summer CHS Program Coordinator Tamberly Stone teams up with varying businesses and clubs to bring the three free movies, one per month in July, July and August, to the community of Oakdale.

“Our sponsors pick the movie,” she said of the summer selection.

It’s a process that isn’t as easy as just picking up a DVD and projecting it on to the big screen.

Stone shared she works with a motion picture company that owns rights to the movies and give the guidelines for showing to a large audience. That’s an expense which the center happily incurs, but is made easier thanks to its sponsors.

For the 2016 season, Oakdale Rotary sponsored the June showing of Inside Out, Oakdale Kiwanis sponsored Saturday’s showing of Minions and David Verdegaal Farming, Inc. has sponsored the screening of Norm of the North, to be shown on Aug. 20.

“This is the first year we haven’t had to sponsor one of the movies,” Stone said.

She also shared that the event is attended by 200 to 500 people for each showing, noting that the featured movie determines the draw.

“If the summer and fall movies are popular the year before, we’ll have good movies,” she said.

In addition to the support of movie sponsors, Stone mentioned her gratitude for the Oakdale Rotary Club for both storing and setting up the movie screen the films are shown on.

The monthly free event serves as a community outreach, as well as an opportunity to collect back packs and school supplies for Oakdale students in need. Oakdale schools begin the 2016-17 school year on Wednesday, Aug. 10. Persons interested in making donations may take them to the Oakdale Center for Human Services at 631 W. F St., Oakdale.