May the Fourth fun comes to young Star Wars fans fighting their own battles
SAN LEANDRO -- May the Fourth be with you. It's a common greeting among Star Wars fans on this date every year. And it's a date some young Bay Area fans fighting epic battles of their own will never forget.
One is 7-year-old Valerie Zaragoza of Vallejo, who was delighted to meet R2-D2 and the rest of the cast in person at George Mark Children's House in San Leandro.
"This day for us is a chance to really participate in things that we didn't think we'd get a chance to do much of," said her father, William Zaragoza.
George Mark focuses on quality of life for children with chronic or incurable medical conditions. Thursday was a chance for the kids and their families to set those battles aside for a brief time and travel to a galaxy far, far away.
"Going through a serious illness is just so challenging for an entire family and to see your child sick is just so hard," said Christine Soldner of the Starlight Children's Foundation. "So to be able to bring these moments of joy and fun to the families and just let them escape what they're dealing with on a daily basis is so special."
Starlight Children's Foundation teamed up with Disney and Lucasfilm to put on the event. Mark Children's House CEO Shekinah Eliassen says it brought up a number of emotions - chiefly, gratitude.
"Gratitude that we can provide a space for families and kids to have a day that kind of blows their mind," said Eliassen. "And brings such a unique experience right here to them and makes them feel special and unique and cared for."
Local Star Wars fan groups showed up in force and in full regalia. And whether they represented the Rebels or the Dark Side, their mission was the same for once: to bring smiles to the children's faces.
"It's so well put together and the kids seem to be loving it," said Zaragoza as he helped Valerie grip a lightsaber. "She's super into Star Wars, so to be able to participate and meet the cast and characters is something really awesome."
