Kowloon Restaurant in Saugus is teaming up with Boston-based non-profit, Winter Walk, to host a Halloween-themed benefit to raise funds to end homelessness in the greater Boston area.
On Friday, Oct. 30, event-goers can watch the cult-classic movie, Beetlejuice, at the restaurant’s newly-launched drive-in theater while enjoying a full menu of Kowloon favorites, including including pu pu platters, Saugus wings, sushi, egg rolls, seafood fantasy, and Kowloon steak, along with beer, wine, and Kowloon’s signature mai tais and scorpion bowls.
All proceeds will be donated to the Winter Walk organization, which raises funds to support initiatives in greater Boston that are working on prevention, care, and support for the city’s homeless community.
“Even in this strange and scary time, it feels like now, more than ever, this is important,” said Ari Barbanell, Winter Walk’s executive director. “The number of homeless people, especially on the street, is going up instead of down.”
Winter Walk’s primary fundraising event is its two-mile trek through the city’s streets every February, during which thousands of participants, both housed and homeless, walk together and hear real stories from Boston’s homeless population.
This year, however, while the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the city’s homeless crisis, it’s also made fundraising efforts considerably more difficult as large gatherings, including charity walks, are discouraged.
Thankfully, Barbanell said the partnership with Kowloon, which came to be with the help of the restaurant’s public relations consultant, Lauren Birmingham, happened in the nick of time.
Birmingham just so happened to be good friends with Boston radio talent and Winter Walk event committee member Sue Brady Hartigan, who happily agreed to host the event that volunteers ultimately managed to put together in just a matter of weeks.
“I think every organization is trying to be creative and sensitive to what individuals are going through right now because we’re all having a challenging time,” Barbanell said. “So when you get this gift of having some sort of unique new event, yes, it’s really great to think about the possibility of raising funds with this added experience.”
Undeterred by difficult circumstances, Barbanell said Winter Walk still aims to host its fifth annual event through a combination of online and in-person activities on Feb. 7.
“We’ve all decided we’re going to do a virtual event no matter what,” she added. “We’re going to offer something virtual for everybody, but if we can safely proceed with the live event, we’re going to do that as well.”
Doors for the Halloween benefit open at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $75 per parking spot (for up to six people), and $50 per table of up to four people.
Guests can bring their own blankets and lawn chairs for the turf area and are encouraged to dress up in costume in the spirit of Halloween. The most creative costume will win a prize.
To reserve tickets, visit Winter Walk online at www.winterwalkboston.org. Those with questions are asked to email www.winterwalkboston.org, or call (617) 414-5577.