Poplar Bluff local Scott Innes stepped into the recording booth in 1998 for his first movie, “Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.”
“I stepped into the paws of the biggest cartoon characters in the world,” he said.
Now he’s inviting fans to celebrate and support a charity near to his heart: Recycling Grace.
Innes will hold a signing, merch sale and auction from 2-5 p.m. Sunday at Walmart Supercenter in Poplar Bluff. A portion of proceeds go to Recycling Grace, he said.
“We’re bringing in some paraphernalia stuff from ‘Zombie Island’: movie posters, key chains, things of that nature,” Innes explained, as well as pieces of memorabilia from classic shows like Andy Griffith, an original 1968 “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” poster found at the Rodgers Theatre, a guitar signed by Randy Travis and prints of Poplar Bluff landmarks.
The first 100 children to arrive will receive a free treat bag.
“Just things like that that are all fun,” he said.
Innes has starred in multiple Scooby-Doo games and movies as both the titular canine and his owner, Shaggy. His other projects include a role in the upcoming drama “The Iron Claw,” releasing in December, and an upcoming appearance in the Bellamy Brothers’ TV show “Honky Tonk Ranch.”
This will be Innes’ 10th fundraiser for Recycling Grace, a nonprofit, faith-based women’s rehab center with several facilities in Poplar Bluff. His mother struggled with addiction during her life, he said, and today his aunt Karen Berry is a senior board member.
“They have saved the lives of so many people, so many women, and it’s just God’s work,” he said.
Sandra Mick-Shockey, Recycling Grace’s CEO, explained the program receives limited grant funding and always benefits from donations and fundraisers.
“One of the things that we always set aside the money for is to bridge the gap for the funding that we lack from the state,” Shockey said.
Recycling Grace is also preparing to build a facility for pregnant women. Construction will hopefully begin in the spring of 2024.
She praised Poplar Bluff for its generosity since the program began in 2009.
“I do want to thank the community because we have the most generous community that there is. I’m telling you, the community has been so generous,” she said.