‘Pitch In And Win’

At Movie Theaters This Summer

Moviegoers should be on the lookout for an aquarium in the lobby of their favorite movie theater this summer. By pitching quarters into that aquarium, participants might be able to win a free movie pass, and they will definitely be helping pediatric patients at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital and Yale University School of Medicine.

Movie theater owners around Connecticut will be participating in a benefit program designed to raise funds and provide fun to moviegoers at the same time. The Connecticut Association of Theatre Owners (CATO) has developed a special campaign called “Pitch In and Win!” to be held from May 19 through Labor Day.

Each theater will set up an aquarium in its lobby filled with water and a small glass in the bottom. People are invited to pitch quarters into the aquarium and if they get one in the glass, they win a free movie pass to the theatre. All proceeds will go directly to Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital and Yale School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics.

Last year, CATO announced it would provide $250,000 over the next ten years for the care of children treated in regional pediatric specialty centers operated jointly by Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital and Yale School of Medicine, both in New Haven. There are currently three regional pediatric centers at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital, Greenwich Hospital, and at the Brookfield Pediatric Specialty Clinic.

“CATO is committed to philanthropy,” said Milt Daly, president of CATO and the senior executive vice president and the chief operating officer of South Norwalk-based Crown Theatres. “We have made a long-term commitment to help the children of Connecticut through support of these pediatric specialty clinics.”

The Yale-New Haven Pediatric Centers provide care for pediatric patients with a range of pediatric illnesses such as heart disease, pulmonary problems including asthma and cystic fibrosis, blood disorders, renal disorders, endocrinology problems including diabetes, neuromuscular problems, and other medical conditions that affect children.