Dec. 20 — Movie night offers a safe place for youth

Parents can drop-off their children at Lee’s Martial Arts while they do their holiday shopping

Chris Albert / of the Herald

Lee’s Martial Arts in downtown Puyallup is offering more than lessons on roundhouse kicks this holiday season.

The business is opening its doors for parents to drop off their children for holiday movie nights every Thursday and Friday leading up to Christmas. The last movie nights are from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Dec. 20 and 21.

The Puyallup Main Street Association approached the business about hosting the movie nights, so parents can have a free, safe and fun place to leave their children while doing their holiday shopping, said Rachel Newman, project coordinator at Lee’s Martial Arts. It was a perfect fit for a business that already has a lot of children around. The movie night is intended for elementary school-age children.

“If there is any place that’s safe, it’s Lee’s Martial Arts,” said Dave Eatwell, executive director of the Puyallup Main Street Association. “No one’s going to get out of hand.”

It is nice to participate in things like a movie night because it really creates a strong sense of community, Newman said.

At the movie nights, youth kick off their shoes and take a seat to watch holiday classics like “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman” and more recent films like “Deck the Halls” and “The Polar Express” on a projection screen.

They also enjoy snacks to go along with the movie, like popcorn.

For students at the martial arts studio, it gives them a chance to break from the norm of practicing and learning fighting moves to relax and socialize with fellow students.

“They usually don’t get a whole lot of it,” Newman said. “We enjoy providing children that environment.”

For student Aaron Baker, 12, the movie night is a fun way to hang out with friends and see some movies.

He is looking forward to watching “The Polar Express” because it is a modern-day Christmas movie.

Student and instructor Kris Durell has been helping out at the movie nights.

“I wanted to watch Rudolph again but I got out voted,” he said. “I like to help out as much as I can.”

Providing a fun safe atmosphere is what the studio is all about, Durell said.

“Really the institution is like family,” he said. “And the kids are always encouraged to bring their friends.”

It also gives youth something to do.

“Boredom is what gets everybody in trouble really,” Durell said.