Movie Night Fundraiser Planned For Randolph Drive Fire Victims

TEWKSBURY, MA — Looking to help out the families who lost their homes in the Randolph Drive fire last month? There's an opportunity to contribute while having a fun Saturday night this weekend.

The local club MVPJEEPS & 4X4'S is hosting a meetup and movie night at the Merrimack Valley Pavillion Saturday, with a goal of raising $25,000 for the families affected by the May 23 fire.

There will be a meet and greet from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with food, minigolf and raffles, and then the movie The Goonies will be shown at 8 p.m.

No one was injured in the fire, but the building was gutted.

Simona Naun of MVPJeeps & 4X4'S lives a minute from the apartment building.

"When I heard the news of the 3-alarm fire ... I knew instantly that I wanted to help my neighbors," she said. "And since I was already hosting an anniversary event for my club at Merrimack Valley Pavillion on Route 38 in Tewksbury, I made the decision that these victims would be the charity of my voice this year."

Naun reached out to Jen Bielecki, who created a GoFundMe that has already raised $8,000 for the families. The goal Saturday is to raise $25,000.

"MVPJEEPS & 4X4'S is a collaborative of offroad enthusiasts and car/truck clubs from all over New England with a few newer members nationwide," Naun said. "Together we strive to make a difference by giving back in our communities while enjoying our time together."

They have hosted events to support first responders, memorial services for local heroes and veterans, toy drives, holiday events and awareness-raising events against childhood illnesses, she said.

"We look for opportunities everywhere to put smiles on as many faces we can," Naun said. "Our members are welcome to share their local events and we always try attend as many as we can. Our local chapter meets weekly on Thursday nights, currently at Heritage Ice Cream on the boulevard in Lowell. We move it frequently to support local small businesses, like BoomBoom games in Billerica and now Merrimack Valley Pavilion in Tewksbury for this event."

Tickets for the event, available here, are $25 per vehicle, with 50 percent of ticket sales going to the fundraiser.

Merrimack Valley Pavilion began showing drive-in movies last summer as it attempted to survive the coronavirus.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.