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Community helping rebuild Ruskin Family Drive-In after Hurricane Milton left it in ruins

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Updated  October 23, 2024 7:58pm EDT
What's Right with Tampa Bay
FOX 13 News

Community helping rebuild Ruskin Family Drive-In after Hurricane Milton left it in ruins

FOX 13's Mark Wilson reports.

RUSKIN, Fla. - The Ruskin Family Drive-In is a beloved community landmark that's been entertaining locals for decades. But after Hurricane Milton it was left in ruins, nearly wiped out by destructive winds.

The drive-in's owner, Karen Freiwald, was in disbelief when she saw the damage for the first time. The giant screen was torn apart, fencing was destroyed, and trees were ruined.

"I thought it was a war zone," said Freiwald. "I actually do think a tornado went through here. This was more than just hurricane winds. I think it was a tornado that went through."

As reality set in, she told her husband, "It's done. We're moving." 

What happened next was something Freiwald never expected.

Just days after the storm, neighbors and regulars began showing up at the theater to help clean up.

"I've been coming here all my life," said Richard Harrell, owner of Lawn and Tree Service. "I'm 37 years old, and I came here since I was a baby. It wouldn't be the same without this place. My kids grew up here."

READ: Florida residents planning to sell homes, leave the state after hurricane season: 'We're done'

"I came in one time and met them, and it took one time to build the relationship, the connection," said Kevin Gonzalez, owner of Ranger Tree Services and More. "So, I mean, this happened out of community because we had the community. We're nothing. So just trying to give back. That's all we do."

Thanks to the outpouring of community support, plans are in motion to rebuild the Ruskin Family Drive-In. The plan is not to just restore it, but make the 72-year-old theater bigger and better than ever.

"They're getting donations to rebuild the screen. They're taking down all these dead trees, trees that got damaged. We're going to get new fences up. It's going to be an amazing drive in when we get back," Freiwald explained.

From tragedy to triumph, the community's commitment to the Ruskin Family Drive-In proves that even in the face of disaster, some things are simply too precious to let go.

"It's a family thing. It's a place where family comes together to meet and have fun," Freiwald said.

They have raised more than $20,000 to rebuild the drive-in so far and they will be having their annual "Trunk and Treat" on Sunday, Oct. 27.

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