An effort is underway to save a 63-year-old Montrose landmark, The Star Drive-In.

The problem is outdated equipment that's expensive to replace.

Years ago, drive-in theaters were very popular.

At one point, there were over 5,000 in the U.S. but today there are no more than 300.

Some say they're part of America’s history and for over sixty years the Star Drive-In has been entertaining Montrose.

"The drive-in began on April 19, 1950,” Star Drive-In owner, Pam Friend, said. “My parents George and Elizabeth DeVries built this."

Friend has been working at The Star since she was five-years-old.

"I’ve seen first, second, third, and fourth generation attendees out here," Friend said.

Friend says she’s heard and shared more memories there than anywhere else.

To her, the star isn't just a theater.

She says, "Its part of me, it’s me, and it’s my heart."

The Star has survived tornados and fires.

"Those were some of the challenges,” Friend said. “Today is the biggest challenge we've got to face. We’ve got to change to digital."

Within the next six months, all of The Stars projection equipment will have to leave and be replaced with a modern digital system.

"The film companies have reached a point where they are no longer going to be making film,” Friend said. “Everything will have to be done digitally and to do this the cost is going to be astronomical."

The switch will cost upwards of $100,000. That’s money The Star doesn't have.

Friend says, "We’ve got a group here in Montrose that has organized and they're calling it Save the Drive-in."

"We’ve campaigned to raise money for Pam because we don't want to see the drive-in go away," Chris Tolvo said. "We’ve had an unbelievable amount of people who want to volunteer to help.”

They’re goal is to raise enough to purchase the new system entirely.

"If Pam has to pull out of her own personal funds or put her house up for a second mortgage to do it, we'll keep the volunteers coming and the donations coming in so we can hopefully pay back what she has to borrow," Tolvo explained.

"I didn't realize the community was behind me so much,” Friend said. “I will continue to run it as long as I can and if we can get enough funding to get this all done over the winter, we will open in 2013 with digital equipment.”

A website has launched to get the word out about the Star Drive-In and its needs.

Already people from across the Western Slope, and even the world, are donating.

For more information on how you can help, click here.