Sparks' 3-day fundraiser centers on New Bern

Author Nicholas Sparks plans an April star-studded Celebrity Family Weekend in New Bern, which promises to bring notables from sports, film and television in a three-day fundraising effort for his charitable foundation.

The April 20-22 events include a premier sneak preview of the movie from his book “The Lucky One” at New Bern Civic Theatre; a film festival of his books made into movies; a concert; a celebrity golf tournament; a luncheon; a brunch at his Trent Woods home; a Family Fun Night at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center; and 5K run in which the former Notre Dame track star will participate.

Sparks said the celebrities coming to town and other details will be forthcoming.

“I will be all around, all weekend,” he said during a Tuesday interview in his home library.

Sparks said he would be greeting people, signing autographs and would be available for photographs during the three days.

The April 20 sneak peek at the film is by invitation, with some tickets going to wounded warriors. But, the public is invited to a red carpet premier-style arrival of celebrities on Pollock Street. It comes just after the Hollywood premier earlier in the week.

“My wife (Catherine) and I are underwriting the entire cost of the event, so 100 percent of the money we raise passes directly through to numerous charities,” he said. “It should be a fun weekend for anyone that participates. There are activities for virtually anybody to do a lot of different things and it is all to support a good cause.”

He said his years in publishing and his relationship with Warner Brothers studio in transforming his best-selling books to the big screen hits had afforded him to get to know many celebrities, who in turn will help him with this project, gratis.

He expects a large reception of local and out-of-town guests, which should make for a weekend that is both festive and economically rewarding for local businesses.

Sparks said his fans had made him a success and he has never lost sight of that. He recalled a woman who flew 30 hours from Japan on a military flight, arrived at Cherry Point air station and spent the night in the New Bern Mall parking lot for one of his book signings.

“She was second in line and then hurried back to catch her flight back to Japan,” he said.

He said the premier showing of the film here came about to coincide with the planned events.

“Originally, the premier of ‘The Lucky One’ was supposed to be in August, and four or five months ago after we had scheduled the golf tournament, they changed it to April 20,” he said. “So we’ve been working with Warner Brothers to have a sneak premier here in town and get some of the stars down.”

He admitted it was not common for the author of a book-turned-movie to get a hometown premier.

“It’s not very common, but I have a long relationship with Warner Brothers,” he said of the studio that has produced five of his books as films. “The current president of the studio was a production assistant on ‘The Notebook,’ so it is a small world out there.”

The film is about a Marine, Logan Thibault, who finds a photograph of a smiling woman in the sands of the Iraq and his attempts to find her.

The military theme, Sparks said, is very relevant to Eastern North Carolina.

“It deals with loss and Logan struggles a little bit when he gets back from the war. He literally walks across the country,” Sparks said. “It really ties in with the wounded warriors. He saw a lot of terrible things and he lost some people.”

Sparks said this novel was unique in that the story was largely inspired by an image.

“Many times, the stories are inspired by something that happened in my family, or maybe I think what is a great story to write and I really start thinking of a plot first,” he said. “But, this was really inspired by an image I got in my head of a soldier finding a photograph in the sand and then deciding he wanted to find this woman. This image stayed with me, and then, little-by-little I though how can I work this into a story?”

Sparks said he felt the film is one of the best-ever productions of his written word to the screen.

“I have liked them all, for different reasons,” he said, adding that his books translate well from word to film.

“They are character-driven. They are the kind of roles actors like to play and they (productions) tend to be fairly inexpensive,” he said. “So, studios make them, they get good actors and they are stories that people enjoy.”

Celebrity Family Weekend

April 20 to 22

Sponsored by Nicholas and Catherine Sparks

Events:

April 20

11 a.m. - Lunch with Nicholas Sparks, New Bern Riverfront Convention Center. Tickets: $250

5 p.m. - Family Fun Night, New Bern Riverfront Convention Center. Celebrities, picnic supper, games, arts, crafts, dancing. Tickets: $35. Children age 3 and under free.

8 p.m. - Red carpet arrival of celebrities for sneak premier of ‘The Lucky One,’ New Bern Civic Theater. Outside activities open to public, 9 p.m. premier by invitation, with guests from Wounded Warrior.

April 21

9:30 a.m. - Golfing with the Celebrities, New Bern Golf and Country Club. Foursome to play, $6,000. Gallery pass, $25.

TBA: Nicholas Sparks film festival, New Bern Civic Theatre

TBA: Concert at New Bern Riverfront Convention Center

April 22

9 a.m. - 5K race, mile fun run, New Bern High School. $30 for 5K, $20 for fun run. Entry increased $10 after March 31. Mingle inside the track, $20

11 a.m. - Brunch at Sparks’ home. Tickets: $1,250

On the Web: Sparksevent.org