John Travolta, wife Kelly Preston, and their daughter Ella went to a special premiere of their new film “Old Dogs” in their adopted hometown of Ocala, Florida on Friday. This is their first public appearance in Ocala since their son Jett passed away last January. By all accounts it was a very emotional premiere, and the Travoltas were nothing but gracious and appreciative. They thanked the community for all the support and love they’ve received over the last year, and Ella even got a street named after her.

In an emotional appearance in his adopted hometown, John Travolta and his family thanked their Florida neighbors for their support after the death of son Jett.

“It’s meant the world to us,” Travolta, 55, told the crowd Friday night at the Ocala, Fla., premiere of his film Old Dogs, according to the Ocala Star-Banner. “We know that we have a community. We know that we have friends. And we know that we are loved. We appreciate it. Jett appreciates it. We love you, Ocala.”

Joining the actor at the premiere were wife Kelly Preston and 9-year-old daughter Ella Bleu, who appears in the film along with her parents.

The Travoltas, who live just north of Ocala, also appeared at a private fundraising gala for local charities, including the Jett Travolta Foundation.

[From People]

The other charities that benefited from the Travolta’s private gala at the premiere are the Florida Highway Patrol Advisory Council, Project Hope, the Marion County Public Safety Assistance Trust and the Humane Society of Marion County. All of them were personally chosen by John. He also has a history of premiering his films in Ocala as a benefit for non-profits. According to Ocala.com, Travolta did the same thing in 2007 for “Wild Hogs” and 2008 for “Bolt.” And though they haven’t released any official numbers on how much money was raised, it was at least $37,500 just from the gala ticket sales.

It’s pretty amazing that John and Kelly were still able to hold a charity premiere in their hometown, given everything they’ve gone through this year. It certainly would have been understandable if they’d passed. Clearly they wanted to thank their community for the kindness and support they’ve been given, and it sounds like the whole event was a success.

Pictures thanks to Ocala.com