SUMMER FILM FESTIVAL IS REPLACING KID'S SPIRIT FUN RUN.

Byline: Helen Gao Staff Writer

BURBANK - Saying the annual Kid's Spirit Fun Run is too expensive and labor-intensive to coordinate, the city and the Media City Center have jointly decided to scrap the event and replace it with a summer film series.

The summer film series would be held for six Wednesday nights, from June 19 to July 24, at the front courtyard of the Ikea furniture store, where residents can see movies for free and sample offerings from local restaurants.

``We are really trying to position this as a signature summer event for all of Burbank,'' said Warren Chaumont, senior marketing manager for Media City Center. ``We hope it will become an annual event.''

Envisioned as kind of a block party, the film series would kick off every week with musical entertainment at 7 p.m. followed by a G- or PG-rated film. A portion of San Fernando Road would be closed to allow room to accommodate up to 1,500 moviegoers.

Chaumont said Media City Center decided to replace the run with the film series because the latter would provide mall retailers and restaurants with a longer period of exposure for the same cost.

The mall has committed $70,000 to promote and stage the film series and the city has allocated $9,500.

A fund-raiser for the Burbank Unified School District, the 2-year-old Kid's Spirit Fun Run attracted about 800 participants last year and raised $15,500 for local schools.

To make up for the money that the run would have raised, the mall has introduced Cash Back for Schools to give a percentage of its sales receipts to PTAs. Chaumont said the donations would equal the amount of money generated by the run last year.

The Cash Back for Schools program is expected to last through May 4. Shoppers at Media City Center are encouraged to drop off their receipts at boxes that are designed to look like school lockers.