Brad Davis, owner of Mabel’s Pizza in Clearfield, recently presented a $942.50 check to Bill and Barb Frankhouser, owners of the Super 322 Drive-in. The funds were raised during a Mabel’s Pizza lunchtime delivery to area businesses July 22.
The funds will go toward the drive-in’s digital upgrades that are needed to keep an American tradition in the area. Bill and Barb Frankhouser have prepared for several years but are still short of the amount needed for the drive-in’s upgrades.
Because of the screen size and distance of the projector, they will need to purchase the largest projector available. This projector costs approximately $85,000. In addition, this neither includes the necessary upgrades to their projector room, nor electrical and lighting upgrades.
Currently, there are only 355 drive-in theaters left in the United States. At their peak in 1958, there were between 4,000 and 5,000 drive-ins operating in the United States. Costly digital upgrades could drastically reduce the number of drive-in theaters.
Davis and his family enjoy the drive-in and don’t want to see it close. The family would like to thank the community for their overwhelming support of their fundraiser. More specifically, the Davis family would like to thank Jeff and Tina Luzier and their family; Amanda Condon; Mike Butler; Bonnie Horton; and the Cordon family and employees from Brother’s Pizza in Curwensville for volunteering time to deliver pizza and anything necessary to assure the success of the fundraiser.
Davis also presented a $942.50 check to Bob Knepp, owner of the Ritz Theater, for the cost of its digital upgrades. Davis plans to hold another Mabel’s Pizza fundraiser in mid to late August to support the theaters.