Five American drive-in theaters will receive a free upgrade to a digital projector as part of a nationwide vote.

The upgrade, valued at $75,000, will help the drive-ins to stay in business as film distributors move to digital at the end of the year.

Find out how to support Michigan drive-in theaters.

The contest is being run by Honda.  Honda says drive-ins are an important part of American culture and they want to help that tradition continue.  They will be donating digital equipment to the top five vote-getters.

Theaters in Ionia, Carsonville, and Honor, Michigan are all eligible for the prize.

Detnews.com has more:

“Cars and drive-in theaters go hand-in-hand, and it’s our mission to save this decades-old slice of Americana that holds such nostalgia for so many of us,” Alicia Jones, manager of Honda and Acura social marketing at American Honda Motor Co. Inc., said in a statement. Drive-ins in the U.S. date back to 1933 and peaked during the 1950s and 1960s, and at one point totaled more than 4,000 nationwide, according to Honda.

Voting runs through September 9.  Vote here!

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