Spielberg surprises local students, pays for movie tickets
Reporter: Jennifer Waddell, Liz Kotalik
Web Producer: Ina Ronquillo
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Students at Emily Gray Middle School were greeted by a surprised when director Steven Spielberg reimbursed an entire 7th grade classroom for Lincoln movies tickets.
Emma Quick tells KGUN9, "I thought it was stunning."
The students went to see Steven Spielberg's movie Lincoln. They were so moved.
"The part where Lincoln said, now now now, that really got inside of me and made me emotional," said Michael.
"We learned about what he did, but we didn't know his personality. Just to see him come to life out of the textbook on the screen was really amazing," said Quick.
Teacher Steve Tobias, who took the students to the movie, told us he couldn't believe the way the film affected everyone.
"When we left there the kids, adults chaperons and teachers said that was Abraham Lincoln, not acting and we love the fact that it coincided with three parts of out curriculum we were studying at the time," said Tobias.
After that, they wrote letters to thank Spielberg.
"We wrote Steven Spielberg to tell him we went to the movie and tell him we appreciate him and what he did with Lincoln," said Micahel.
Never did they think they'd get a response from the famed director, much less a hand written letter and a check.
That money, the kids will pay forward.
Quick said, "We are going to give it as a kind of a scholarship because next year the 8th graders to to Washington D.C. and that scholarship will be used to pay for a kids trip to go to Washington D.C. next year."
A field trip coinciding with curriculum not only left a lasting impression on the kids, but the grown-ups as well.
"Thank you so much for making a difference in my kids lives and in mine," said Tobias.
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