‘PAY IT FORWARD’ for the Haitian Relief Effort

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
 
February 11, 2010 

 
 
Sunrise Theatre, WFLM, WIRA,WPSL,WSTU,WJNX, Riverside Bank, 
and St. Lucie Battery and Tire come together to ‘PAY IT FORWARD’ 
for the Haitian Relief Effort. 
 

 
Fort Pierce – On February 27th at 2 PM the Sunrise Theatre will present a 
FREE screening of the award-winning movie, ‘PAY IT FORWARD’ (starring Kevin 
Spacey and Helen Hunt), sponsored by WIRA/WFLM, WPSL, WSTU, WJNX, Riverside 
Bank and St Lucie Battery and Tire, as a part of their collaborative efforts 
to help our Haitian neighbors. 
 
 
Larry Lee from State Farm Insurance, Alice Lee from WFLM/WIRA, Greg and 
Carol Wyatt from WPSL,WSTU and WJNX, and Pat Alley, President of St Lucie 
County Riverside Bank have been collecting money for the Haitian Relief 
Effort and to date, have raised $30K (the Goal is $50K). Prior to the movie, 
there will be a check presentation to the Red Cross on behalf of Riverside 
Bank, State Farm, WFLM/WIRA and WPSL, WSTU, WJNX for monies raised toward 
the relief effort. 
 
 
Larry Lee is the owner of a local State Farm Insurance Agency, located on 
Virginia Avenue in Fort Pierce, and according to Lee, the purpose of the 
FREE film will be to promote the concept of “Pay It Forward” to the 
community as part of one’s philosophy and lifestyle, and of course, to build 
Awareness for Haitian Relief. 

 
 ’Pay it Forward’ is a movement that encourages people to do good to others, 
and asks them to continue the concept, by doing good for others. This 
concept has been around for years. We created the ‘Pay It Forward’ Program 
on WIRA 1400 AM for our community, but we soon realized we could also 
greatly impact the Haitian Relief efforts with our program,” said Lee. 
 
 
“Gertrude Walker, Supervisor of Elections, contacted me and told me we 
needed to do something for Haiti. So, I called Greg and Carol Wyatt Owners 
of WPSL, WSTU, WJNX, and Pat Alley, President of Riverside Bank, and without 
hesitation, all the parties agreed to join forces, raising over $30,000 to 
date. This is a classic example of how local businesses can make a 
difference in our community. I am proud of these local businesses and how we 
have joined together to contribute to an international cause.” added Lee. 
 
 
“When Larry Lee called me on the evening when this idea was born, I 
immediately told him that the Sunrise Theatre would love to be involved and 
that our theatre would be the perfect venue to not only co-present this 
event but we could maximize attendance of this community effort in the 
Treasure Coast’s largest and most prestigious performing arts theatre,” said 
John Wilkes, Executive Director of Sunrise Theatre. “On behalf of the 
Sunrise Theatre and the City of Fort Pierce, I am pleased to be the hosting 
partner in this worthy cause and fully support and embrace the concept of 
“Paying It Forward” on February 27th, and every day!” 
 
 
“Carol and I first realized the Treasure Coast was a ‘Pay It Forward’ 
community when we started our involvement with ‘WPSL Christmas Kids’ some 17 
years ago,” said Greg Wyatt from WPSL, WSTU and WJNX. “The businesses that 
have sponsored the Christmas Kids program show that we all have that 
attitude, as do all of the sports franchises with whom we have had the 
pleasure to work. So I am not surprised that the Treasure Coast came through 
for us again with the Haitian Relief Fund at Riverside Bank. We cannot thank 
the Sunrise Theatre enough for joining us and keeping that ‘Pay It Forward’ 
spirit alive,” added Wyatt. 
 
 
“From the day we opened our doors here in St. Lucie County, our mission has 
always been to show our community how much we care for them,” said Pat 
Alley, President of Riverside Bank. 
 
 
“We were welcomed with open arms, and known as the Bank With The Heart 
.helping to provide funds and aid during the PSL & Fort Pierce fires; 
bringing in water and basics for the two devastating hurricanes in 2004; 
supporting the recovery efforts of New Orleans & the Mississippi coast; and 
now, most recently, encouraging people to support our Haitian Relief Fund,” 
added Alley. 
 
 
In fact, Riverside bank helps countless organizations in need; for example, 
they have a fee from self-coin counting machines in which the entire 5% fee 
of those coins counted & used, goes right back into the community. 
 
 
“Please help us, to help our neighbors in Haiti, by coming to the Sunrise 
Theatre, February 27th, to watch the original movie that encourages 
individuals to pay it forward,” said Renee Page, Marketing and Development 
Director for the Sunrise Theatre. “I have said it before, and I know, I 
sound like a broken record sometimes. But it does take a community, to raise 
a community, and I am counting on everyone to come together to help these 
poor people who have lost everything in this disaster,” added Page. 
 
 
General Admission tickets are available at the Sunrise Theatre, WIRA/WFLM, 
WPSL,WSTU, WJNX, Larry Lee’s State Farm Insurance Agency, and all Riverside 
Banks on the Treasure Coast. Although there is a limit of 4 tickets per 
person, the Sunrise Theatre and all the sponsors involved are encouraging 
everyone to come “GET A TICKET & GIVE A TICKET” in the spirit of ‘Pay It 
Forward’. 
 
 
Details: 
 
February 27th 
 
2 pm 
 
Doors open at 1:30 PM 
 
General Admission 
 
Free to general public 
 
Limit 4 tickets per person 
 
 
For more information on the ‘Pay it Forward’ movie and concept, visit 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwO6pmbYDo8 
 
 
For more information, call the Sunrise Theatre at 772-461-4775 or visit 
www.sunrisetheatre.com <http://www.sunrisetheatre.com/> .