Bringing the Drive-In Movies to Marklund

With nearly 100 clients at its Geneva facility makes it difficult for Marklund staff to bring all or many of them on a trip or outing at the same time. Focusing on this issue, the imaginative staff members at Marklund like Suzette Fairbanks, came up with the idea to create a drive-in movie experience out on Marklund’s Miracle League baseball field and invite families from the Mill Creek neighborhood to join the fun.

“I was trying to come up with new ideas for the clients to participate in rather than the same old stuff. This summer I went to the drive-in movie and thought maybe I could bring the clients to the drive-in,” said Suzette Fairbanks, Therapuetic Activity Aide at Marklund. “Unfortunately, that would mean that the clients would get home very late, I would only be able to take five at a time and I would need to get about four other volunteers.”

With this idea in mind, Suzette found an inflatable movie screen online and worked with her supervisor Lem Pablo, Assistant Director of Adult Services, to approve the purchase and get the activity up and running. Within two weeks, the order was put in, delivered and Marklund was showing movies out on the ball field located in the center of Marklund’s Geneva campus at the south edge of Mill Creek.

“The clients really enjoyed the drive-in movie experience, said Amber Crouse, Therapeutic Activity Aide at Marklund. “Being out on the Miracle League Field watching a movie was truly a different activity, especially being outside when it was dark out.  It was a great new experience.”

“Marklund has always allowed the neighborhood children to play baseball on their Miracle League Field,” stated Lem. “The drive-in movie experience is one more activity for the residents of the Mill Creek neighborhood to enjoy and gives us another opportunity to be involved with our community.”

Contact: Cole Paler, cpaler@marklund.org or 630.593.5500-d