Cast members from the film “The Outsiders” are scheduled to visit Fresno Unified schools and participate in a community event supporting The Stay Gold Foundation, an organization founded by C. Thomas Howell, who portrayed Ponyboy Curtis in the 1983 movie.
According to The Stay Gold Foundation website, “Our mission is to support teachers and inspire students by providing free copies of ‘The Outsiders,’ a classic novel that resonates with themes of resilience, friendship, and understanding. Through engaging school visits, we aim to ignite a passion for reading and foster meaningful connections between educators and their students.”
On September 12, Howell will be joined by Darren Dalton (Randy Anderson) and Leif Garrett (Robert Sheldon) at Farber Educational Campus from 9 to 11:30 a.m., where they will meet with students. The following evening, the trio will attend a screening and Q&A session at Fresno High School’s Royce Hall starting at 7 p.m.
“The Outsiders” film is adapted from S.E. Hinton’s novel. Director Francis Ford Coppola took on the project after receiving a petition signed by 107 students from Lone Star School in Sanger. Librarian Jo Ellen Misakian led this effort, which resulted in the film premiering in Fresno.
Gina Vertson, now a teacher at Farber and one of the original petition signers, played a role in organizing the return of the three actors for these events.
Fresno Unified Superintendent Misty Her stated in a news release, “The powerful themes of isolation and the desire to belong evident in ‘The Outsiders’ still connect with young people today, sparking meaningful conversations. We’re excited to welcome cast members to Fresno High and the Farber Educational Campus.”
