Chances are you’ve seen Leslie Masters and Bob Martin volunteering with Park City Film. They’re the ones with outfits that perfectly coordinate with the film or the season – sometimes both. This includes laced judicial collars for RBG, puppy shirts for Isle of Dogs, and ski goggles for the annual ski movie. As is the case with all of our volunteers, Leslie and Bob are the heart of our organization and community. Here’s who Leslie and Bob are outside of Park City Film.
Bob and Leslie are originally from San Diego, where their favorite activity was mountain biking. Leslie first came out to Park City in the 80’s to ski Deer Valley, just a few seasons after it opened. After many years of vacationing in Park City, in 1997 Bob and Leslie decided to move to Park City so they could live where they played. Leslie said they’ve been mountain biking on some of Park City’s original trails ever since.
But what about the costumes? Bob and Leslie started collecting costumes while Leslie was working as a physical therapist. She worked in a lot of nursing homes, where long-term residents weren’t visited much by friends and family. She also took care of people recovering from surgery, who could get stuck in the hospital over the holidays.
“If you’re in the hospital, you just get sad if it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas,” said Leslie. She started wearing funny outfits and hats to bring a smile to her patients’ faces. She wore subtle things, like Spock ears one day, and delighted in seeing people’s reactions. Some people would acknowledge them, while others would choose to be quietly amused by it all. She also always wears fabulous earrings that match the seasons.
One patient came back to visit Leslie during Valentine’s Day, just to see what she was wearing for the occasion. Now, Leslie works a few days a week at The Orthopaedic Specialty Hospital in Salt Lake City.
Leslie said that one day, an occupational therapist told her “She respected herself too much to dress up like I did.” Leslie responded, “It’s because I have a lot of respect for myself, that I can dress up. I know who I am.”
Bob used to drive for Nicholas and Company, but is now fully retired. So, he spends his free time volunteering at Park City’s nonprofits and mountain biking. After all, mountain biking is what brought Bob and Leslie to Park City originally.
Bob and Leslie have volunteered with Park City Film for the past four years. They enjoy it because it’s fun and straight forward, and they had been coming to watch films a few times a month anyway. Bob said that when he volunteers for Nordic ski races, he ends up being outside in the cold for ten hours. At Park City Film? They pop popcorn for about an hour, and then they watch a great movie for free with a bottomless bowl of the best popcorn in town. Serious film goers that they are, Leslie and Bob have a “two course” popcorn system– Bob puts parmesan on his popcorn, and Leslie puts chocolate on hers. That way, they have dinner and a dessert at the movies.
Their favorite films at Park City Film have been RBG, Land Ho!, and The Insult.
Want to volunteer with Park City Film like Bob and Leslie? Click here for to sign up for a volunteer shift!
