Kevin Bacon Visits Payson High School for 40th Anniversary of “Footloose”

SixDegrees.Org News Release

Payson, Utah. (April 20, 2024) – Today, Kevin Bacon, SixDegrees.org, Payson High School, and the greater Payson community, banded together to assemble and distribute 5,000 Essential Resource Kits to young people in need of resources throughout Utah, Colorado and Nevada. They also teamed up with the Utah Film Commission in celebration of 100 years of film and television in Utah. This is part of SixDegrees.Org’s initiative launched on Giving Tuesday to distribute 40,000 kits through their Building Kits by Kevin Bacon (BKxKB) program to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of ‘Footloose’.

Fall of 2023, the students at Payson High School, made famous as the set location for Bacon’s iconic film, launched a social media campaign to bring #BacontoPayson before the site is permanently closed and demolished later this year. From cardboard cutouts of Bacon to Footloose flash mobs, these young people were on a mission to capture the stars’ attention.

“It’s inspiring to see the dedication of these students and the community as a whole. Payson was just as welcoming as my first time here 40 years ago. Their enthusiasm is contagious, and today’s event truly showcases what happens when we show up for one another.” Reflected Kevin Bacon.

More than 1,000 volunteers descended onto the Payson High football field Saturday morning before their ‘Everybody Cut Footloose’ Prom to show what is possible when we come together.

Generous contributions from partners, both financial and in-kind, made this event possible. The milestone event facilitated over $865,000 worth of product distribution, totaling 121,900 items, and involved over 3,000 volunteer hours. Notable brand partners contributing included Bombas, BetterHelp, Hachette Book Group and Nu Skin, among others. Financial support was provided by the Larry H and Gail Miller Foundation, The Utah Film Commission, The Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, Forvis, Lehi Roller Mills, Adobe and various individual donors.

Stacy Huston, Executive Director of SixDegrees.org, reflected on the event’s impact: “Today, everyone had a chance to witness the true essence of collective impact. From the visionary students who ignited this campaign to the generous brand partners who provided invaluable resources, from the individuals who donated to the local partners who lent their support in logistics and beyond—this event was truly a recipe for success. Together, we raised $1.1 million in in-kind products or services during this activation, benefitting four incredible organizations. This is the power of unity in action.”

Four Utah-based nonprofit organizations were chosen as beneficiaries, aligning with SixDegrees.org’s focus on youth empowerment, justice, equity, sustainable living environments, and emerging crises. Encircle, Centro De La Familia, Spy Hop, and Food and Care Coalition each received 1,250 essential care kits, including basic hygiene items, socks, journals, reusable water bottles, shelf-stable goods, and three months of free counseling, among other comforts. These kits empower them to divert resources to their core programming more effectively while amplifying their work to a wider audience.

Special thanks to Express, Payson Fruit Growers, Cort, Move For Hunger, Walmart, Smith’s, Costco Wholesale, The Handmade Soup Co., Campbell Snack Company, Payson Utah, GoGo Squeeze Active, Promise 2 Live, Central Bank, Chubby’s Cafe, Clarion Gardens, MJG Signals, Olson’s Garden Shoppe, Payson Market and Utah Office of Tourism.

About SixDegrees.org

SixDegrees.Org is a 501c3 that was launched in 2007 by Golden Globe Winning Actor, Musician and Philanthropist, Kevin Bacon.  It was born out of the small world phenomenon that we are all connected to one another by six degrees or less. With a mission rooted in connecting people to necessary resources, SixDegrees is dedicated to creating dialogue, raising awareness, understanding and empathy around causes that our communities care most about. SixDegrees programs include Basic Kindness resource bags, content production for social good amplification, and campaign activations. Led by Executive Director Stacy Huston, SixDegrees.Org centers its efforts on core areas of focus: Youth Empowerment, Equality and Justice, Sustainability and emergent issues that are vital to our communities. The organization’s remarkable achievements include winning an impressive tally of 2 Anthem Awards, 5 Shorty Awards, a Telly Award and 4 Webby Awards.

About the Utah Film Commission

As part of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, the Utah Film Commission markets the entire state as a destination for film, television, and commercial production by promoting the use of professional local crew and talent, support services, Utah locations, and the Motion Picture Incentive Program. The office also serves as a liaison to the film industry, facilitating production needs across the state. Formed in 1974, the Utah Film Commission celebrates its 50th anniversary, as well as 100 years of Utah Film & Television in 2024.

Thousands of productions have been filmed in Utah, including “Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid,” “Footloose,” “Thelma & Louise,” and “Forrest Gump,” to name only a few. Many episodic series have also been filmed in Utah, such as “Yellowstone”, “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” and “Westworld.”

For more information, visit film.utah.gov.