Good morning Prospector Theater! Prospects received a sparkling surprise visit from ABC’s Good Morning America this week.
Dozens of smiling Prospects, dressed in their sparkly best, greeted America on Monday morning when Good Morning America anchor TJ Holmes visited the Prospector as part of their post-Oscars special edition of the show. The team at Good Morning America wanted to spotlight the Prospector Theater as a sparkly beacon of hope - for movie theaters and the disability community - amidst a lackluster awards season, national unemployment epidemic, and global pandemic.
The Prospector Theater is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to providing meaningful employment to people with disabilities through the operation of a premium, first-run movie theater in Ridgefield, CT. Employees - known as Prospects - are encouraged to sparkle, shine, and transform passions into professions. Around 75% of Prospects self-identify with a disability.
When Prospector’s Director of Research and Development, Mike “Munchie” Santini, received the good news call from Good Morning, he realized the potential of this opportunity. “Just like the Blue Brothers, we are on a mission,” said Santini. “Our mission is to save movie theaters and show the world how awesomely talented adults with disabilities are through rock-star jobs that demonstrate our sparkle - our talents!”
Very few within the Prospector organization knew about Good Morning America’s plan. The Prospector’s leadership team scheduled Prospects to arrive at the Theater on Monday morning under the guise of filming a promotional video for the Prospector’s in-house Production team. When told they were really there to be on Good Morning America, Prospects danced with joy!
Good Morning America anchor TJ Holmes surprised Prospector’s Founder, Visionary and Executive Director, Valerie Jensen, in the Theater, showing her a pre-made video of Prospects being interviewed about the importance of their jobs. “I couldn’t speak until I was five and doctors used to tell my parents that I wouldn’t be able to do half of the things that I do now,” said Emily Haughney, one of the Theater’s 99 Prospects, during her interview. “Here I am - almost 30 years old and with a full-time job.”
After watching the video, TJ escorted a still-shocked Valerie outside of the Prospector, where a group of black-and-pink clad, sparkled-up Prospects uproariously cheered for their vivacious visionary. The surprises didn’t stop there! The Prospector team received a video of encouragement from Academy Award-winning actress Whoopi Goldberg, as well as a $10,000 donation from Yardbird - a sustainable patio and outdoor furniture company that partnered with ABC to honor the Prospector.
Jensen had the chance to discuss the challenges the Prospector has overcome over the last year. “It has not been easy, but we’ve kept everyone on the payroll. We did open for about eight months, but we closed last month because we had to.”
The Prospector has worked hard to keep all Prospects engaged with meaningful employment opportunities, turning to the new digital world to continue their mission. “We’ve been on Zoom,” explained Jensen. “The accessibility features that come with technology platforms will make it even easier now to include adults with disabilities in the workforce.”
Unbelievably, more than 82% of working-aged Americans with disabilities are unemployed. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this issue; over 1,000,000 additional Americans with disabilities have become unemployed since March 2020. The Prospector Theater’s model of competitive and integrated employment represents a solution to this massive problem.
As the segment winded down, TJ asked Valerie one final question amidst a sea of Prospect sparkle and love: “What’s next?” Jensen replied confidently, sending an inspirational message to an industry that has been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic:
“We are going to reopen! It’s been a hard year for movie studios, movie theaters, and the movie industry. I hope everybody supports their local theaters. Operators from all across the country have reached out to us, asking, ‘How can we do it? How can we stay alive?’ And we say, ‘Look at our mission!’”