Kevin Bacon (65) fulfills a dream for the students at Payson High School in Utah. His cult film “Footloose,” which was filmed at the school, premiered 40 years ago. To mark the occasion, the student body launched the “Bacon to Payson” campaign to persuade the actor to visit the buildings. Now he made good on his promises and gave a speech on the high school football field.
“We’re here in this beautiful place and on this beautiful day. It’s been a long time – 40 years – it just blows me away, you know. Everything looks a little different here. I would say the thing that looks the most different “I am,” he began his speech, as the “Today Show” reported. The high school will be moving at the end of the school year.
“When I first heard about this Bacon to Payson thing, I thought, ‘Wow, that’s crazy. But you guys were just tireless,'” he said, praising the students’ efforts. As part of the campaign, they recreated scenes from the film and choreographed videos to attract the film star’s attention.
As part of their efforts, they also committed to raising 5,000 resource packs for Bacon’s foundation. Sixdegrees.org cares about underserved communities. The organization aims to pack and distribute up to 40,000 kits as part of its “Footloose40” initiative. The students “made something really positive out of what could just be a movie star coming back to get a pat on the back,” Bacon thanked.
The students had decorated their school with “Footloose” memorabilia and awarded Bacon an honorary diploma from Payson High School. He proudly posed for photos with the students and also had a little chat.
“Footloose” was released in cinemas in 1984. Kevin Bacon plays a teenager who moves to a small town where dancing is forbidden. The flick culminates in the prom at Payson High School.
