Movie Night – Zootopia

Everyone loves to watch movies especially children. Children have the ability watch movies with their hearts since their innocent and imaginative minds do not necessarily let their logic interfere with their imagination and wonder and they become part of the movies they watch and let the movies and characters become part of them.

Now for children, watching a movie at home on a TV, no matter how big the screen is, does not compare with the experience of going to the movie theater, with their parents and siblings, seeing all the movie posters, seeing all the other movie goers, the smell of popcorn with butter, the huge screen, etc and we see many families with their children at movie theaters all the time. Unfortunately, many children with special needs and their families can never experience this time tested experience, because of many reasons, but mainly because the parents or guardians are afraid that their child with special needs (Warrior, as we call them) may be a distraction for other movie goers and ruin the experience for others. Some Warriors keep talking through the movies, some may be making different loud sounds, some may not stay in their seat, etc. Basically it is hard for the parents to take them out to a theater for all these and more reasons.

Having a child with special needs, we know first hand how this feels and so we decided to do something about it.

Winds of Mercy has started an event called Movie Night where we rent out an entire theater just for families with children with special needs, where these kids and their families have no worries, the kids can do whatever they want and no one is going to mind. Instead of awkward glances they and their families will get smiles each time their Warrior does something unique.

We started this event this year and we plan to continue doing it every year and maybe even increase it to twice a year and who knows, God willing multiple times a year.