Lower Burrell VFC No. 3 to host free Disney movie 'Raya and the Last Dragon'

Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company is offering a free movie night Saturday at the station along Leechburg Road.

The movie, Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon,” will be projected on a large screen outside in the fire station parking lot. Residents will need to bring chairs.

The movie takes place in the fantasy world of Kumandra, where humans and dragons live in harmony long ago. But evil interferes, and a lone warrior, Raya, tracks down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people.

The fire company is offering the movie, along with free popcorn and shaved ice, as a thank-you to the community.

“We rely a lot on the support of our citizens to help us function,” Assistant Chief Brennan Sites said.

He credits residents with bringing refreshments to firefighters and first responders at emergency scenes and attending the fire company’s food truck rallies.

The food truck rallies, with two so far this year and a third scheduled Oct. 9, have been bringing in about $5,000 or more at each event, Sites said.

“The residents who have come out consistently and in full force for the food truck rallies takes the pressure off of us so we don’t have to do a dozen smaller fundraisers,” he said. “We can spend more time on training.”

The money from the food truck rallies, with the first one held last year, has helped pay for renovations at the fire station, including repointing the fire station’s bricks, replacement of 15 windows, the purchase of two new commercial air conditioning units and painting the exterior of the station next month, Sites said.

The food truck rallies were offered to compensate for the loss of fundraising revenue from the cancellation of events because of covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

“It’s great to see Lower Burrell VFC No. 3 try new ideas and provide new activities for the community,” city Councilman Chris Fabry said. “The department relies heavily on donations from the residents. This is a nice way to thank everyone for their support.”

Sites said he would like to see if the fire company can make the free movie night a regular event next year at the city’s Kotecki Park.