September 16, 2025 — Cast members from “The Outsiders”—C. Thomas Howell (Ponyboy), Darren Dalton (Randy), and Leif Garrett (Bob)—returned to the Central Valley at Fresno High School on Saturday, September 13 to a huge reception from fans. The event was for Howell’s Stay Gold Foundation, a nonprofit organization, with the proceeds going towards its cause for “raising awareness to the importance of literacy and the arts.”
It felt like 1983 all over again when the cast came to Fresno and Clovis for an early premiere of the film. People came from all over the state and out of the state to meet their former teen idols. Different generations of fans across the board waited in line along the gates of the high school to interact with the stars. Some were dressed as either the Greasers or Socs, and some ladies wore classic dresses to resemble the Cherry Valance character.
In the Administration Building, they were selling books, posters, and specialty programs of the event to the fans. The room was fully occupied for the meet-and-greet with admirers waiting to express their gratitude toward the story and how it impacted them. Howell, Dalton, and Garrett signed autographs and took photos with them.
The festivities moved to Royce Hall in full capacity for the screening of the movie. Before that, Howell took the stage to share some fun facts about the making of the film, how it impacted him, and the purpose of his charity.
There were several highlights of the night. Howell handed a bouquet of flowers to the former librarian of Lone Star Elementary, Jo Ellen Misakian, who wrote a letter to Francis Ford Coppola along with a petition of signatures from the seventh and eighth-grade students, and a copy of the book inspiring him to adapt it into a film. And the rest is history. She received a standing ovation, including a special shout out to her former students who are now adults who were at the screening.
Then Howell was given a proclamation from the Fresno City Council declaring September 13, 2025, “The Outsiders” Day in Fresno. Howell held that proclamation up with pride.
Later, Dalton joined Howell on stage to discuss his memories of the production, and they both expressed gratitude to their ongoing friendship. Then Howell announced that throughout the whole event there were documentarians filming the meet-and-greet and the screening for the purpose of making a behind-the-scenes documentary of the making of the film. And Fresno will be included in it.
There was such a huge capacity of fans that wanted to be a part of the meet-and-greet that the cast ended up signing autographs during and after the screening.
Much appreciation toward former students Gina Vertson, Michelle Ogawa, and company for putting on the event. The success of the evening demonstrated the everlasting love that the community has for the story while encouraging those that attended to “stay gold.”