Kevin Bacon visits Utah high school used to film “Footloose”
PAYSON, Utah (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - In Utah, Payson High School students, who wore "Bacon to Payson" T-shirts that they designed themselves, gathered on the football field to welcome movie star Kevin Bacon back to his "Footloose" roots as well as take part in a huge community service project.
It sure was a lot of work. Weeks, months, and even more than a year, but finally, the big day was here.
"Oh my gosh. It's like, I'm not even sure I'm processing it all the way," said Jaedyn Holman, a sophomore of Payson High School.
Holman, along with her classmates, couldn't stop smiling at what they accomplished.
"Like, it feels like I'm living in a movie a little bit," Holman expressed.
SixDegrees.org
It was one big movie, "Footloose" starring Kevin Bacon, that the entire day was all about.
"Things look a little different around here. I'd say the thing that looks the most different is me," Bacon said when observing the high school used to film the iconic 1980s movie.
Students have been doing everything they could to get Bacon to the school before it's torn down to make room for a new one.
"This whole year, we've been working towards it and it's finally here and it just feels like...I don't know," said Ryland Baker, a senior of Payson High School.
Students and other volunteers even teamed up with Bacon's foundation, SixDegrees.org. They organized items like sanitizers, socks, snacks, and put them into backpacks to be distributed to four different local charities.
"Serving predominantly young people who lack access to resources or may just be in a transitional time in their life where they could use a little extra boost," said Brigid Zuknick with SixDegrees.org.
Hard work and persistence paid off
Bacon even helped pack some of those kits with Payson students.
"Like he cares about these people and he cares about what we're doing here," Holman shared.
For students, it's proof that hard work and persistence pays off, and to never accept "no" for an answer, kind of like Bacon's character in "Footloose."
"Look at what we did. It's awesome. I'm super excited about it," Holman further shared.
It's a day, and a school year, they will always remember.
"This is awesome that it's happening, but then it's like...What do we do after? Sleep? Maybe sleep all day? I think that's what I'm gonna do," Holman spoke.
