Kevin Bacon kept his word. The Footloose star made his way back to Payson High School in Payson, Utah — where some of the iconic 1984 film was shot — on Saturday morning (April 20), just hours before the school would hold its final prom night, per the Associated Press.
Bacon had announced his plan to visit during a March 22 virtual appearance on Today, where he made a video call to students and revealed the news.
His return was inspired by the year-long #BaconToPayson social media campaign, which had been organized by the students in hopes of having Bacon come in honor of the 40th anniversary of the film, and also in light of the school being relocated.
“Things look a little different around here,” he noted on Saturday. “I’d say the thing that looks the most different is me.”
His return ultimately served as a partnership with SixDegrees.org, his foundation whose “core focus areas are Youth Empowerment, Equality and Justice, Sustainability, and Emergent Issues important to our communities,” per the organization’s official website. Students and volunteers from the community gathered with Bacon on the school’s football field, where they assembled “essential resource kits.”
SixDegrees.org’s Director of Programs and Development Brigid Zuknick told Salt Lake City’s ABC4 Utah that they were “building 5,000 backpacks, with over 120,000 items in them, being distributed to four local non-profit partners right here in Utah.”
Although Bacon did not attend the prom that night — which was Footloose-themed — he recorded a video for students that was played on the special night and captured and shared on X, per Deseret News.
“The thing is, tonight, it’s not about me, it’s about you. I want you all to have a great time, and most importantly, be good to each other. And don’t forget to cut loose,” he shared in the video, which then led into the last scene of the 1984 film.
For those now in the mood to cut loose, Footloose is streaming on Netflix and Paramount+.
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