Nearly 80 movie theater chains plan to donate every dollar they earn on Sept. 25 to charities aiding the terrorist-attack relief operations, the National Organization for Theatre Owners announced Thursday. That list includes GKC theaters, the owner of Market Square Theaters, 2160 Sycamore Road.

One hundred percent of ticket and concession sales at participating movie theaters will be distributed equally between the September 11th Fund of the United Way and the American Red Cross.

"We've had a strong number of calls from theater operators around the country asking, ‘How can we do something to help?"' said John Fithian, president of the theater owners association. "Now we have the vast majority of screens in the country participating."

About 29,000 screens already are involved in "Victims' Benefit Day at the Movies," roughly 80 percent of the nation's 36,000 total.

"While ‘the show must go on' for all of us, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims," said Peter Brown, chairman and CEO of AMC Entertainment Inc., which has pledged the Tuesday returns from its 2,772 screens.

Typical total theater returns for a Tuesday in September, a notoriously slow month for movies, is about $5 million.

The only new movie opening this weekend in wide release is "Glitter," starring Mariah Carey as a pop singer on the rise.

Although theaters must pay a rental fee to studios to show movies, Fithian maintained all of the money taken in at the box office on Tuesday would go to the charities.

If some studios are unwilling to waive their fee for that day, which can be as much as 50-70 percent of the ticket, theater owners plan to pay it out of their own pockets.

Disney is among those that have already pledged to forego payments. Other studios did not immediately return calls for comment.

With a large American flag behind its stage, Otto’s Niteclub opened its doors at noon Sunday for a three-band, seven-hour benefit for the DeKalb County Chapter of the American Red Cross, with proceeds ultimately going to New York to assist victims of the World Trade Center attack.

The event, titled Shooter’s Volunteer All-Star Jam, featured Picture This, the Shawn and Janelle Brown Band and Shooter. It was organized by Shooter lead singer J.R. Mancillas.

About 40 people turned out for the event, raising about $245 by 4 p.m. Sunday, said Chad Hussung, bartender and manager at Otto’s, 118 E. Lincoln Highway.

"When they had the Plainfield tornado, I did something like this out there and raised a lot of money," Mancillas said. "That’s what I wanted to do here. You know, it was the least any of us can do."

Mancillas said the images of the attacks on the World Trade Center have been particularly haunting.

"It’s been devastating," he said. "Especially since I’ve gone though the Vietnam thing. But we’ve got to trust our country. We’ve got to trust our president. We’ve been free for over 200 years, and we’ll be free long after this."

Among those in attendance was Andrew Fish, an NIU student and Army reservist. On the day of the attacks in New York and Washington, Fish’s reserve unit, the 801st Combat Supply Hospital, was put on immediate stand-by for deployment.

"I got a phone call saying ‘be ready,’" he said. "My bags are packed."

Fish is a junior at NIU double-majoring in corporate finance and political science with an emphasis on international relations.

"I think we should have started the war on terrorism years ago back in ‘93 when they first did it," Fish said, referring to the first attack on the World Trade Center. "I’m disappointed more college students were not out here. I’m actually embarrassed for DeKalb. You have to support your veterans, because this time we are going out there and we are going to kick some ass."