Darth Vader himself was in Boston last Thursday night with a legion of Storm Troopers.
Or at least a man dressed up in a detailed homemade suit of him was. And a Mr. Potato Head version of the villain, calling himself “Darth Tater.” As for those Storm Troopers, many of them were serving as security guards at Loews Boston Common and FELT night club. Their assignment: the “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” charity premiere.
Ticket sales, which ranged from $250 to $500, were used to benefit community service program City Year, which is located on Columbus Avenue. City Year Boston, an AmeriCorps program, currently incorporates a diverse group of 160 young men and women between the ages of 17 and 24 for a year of full time community service, according to City Year executive director Deborah Re. The organization, founded in Boston in 1988, has sites in 15 cities nationwide and just expanded into South Africa earlier this year.
“We received a call from Lucasfilm letting us know that there was an RFP (Request for Proposals) process for selecting the organizations that would benefit from the premiere; we applied,” Re said. “City Year was honored to have been selected to partner with and be the beneficiary of the Boston premiere.”
Lucasfilm simultaneously hosted nine other premieres nationwide, donating revenue to charities local to each premiere toward raising critical funds and awareness for issues affecting children and families. All proceeds from ticket sales at the Boston event will support City Year corps members’ efforts to meet critical needs in and around Boston, particularly the issues of the development and education of youth, Re said.
“These charitable organizations are the leaders in direct services and advocacy for children and families,” said “Star Wars” creator George Lucas. “I’m delighted that the screenings can help these amazing organizations, which do such important work.”
This past year, Northeastern associate professor of education Robert Fried taught a class for corps members about education in urban schools. The university has a “long, strong relationship with City Year,” Re said, with students who have volunteered for City Year both before and after college, such as junior human services and international affairs double major Kristin Moul.
“It was definitely the most difficult 10 months of my life but I look back on it fondly,” Moul said, adding that her experience led her to help create the leadership program Agents of Change, an EnVision program, while at Northeastern.
A number of local celebrities walked the red carpet outside the theater, which was surrounded by corps members with light sabers cheering in thanks for the support. Members of the New England Patriots and the New England Revolution, former Bruin Terry O’Reily, and “Fever Pitch” actors Zen Gesner and Lenny Clarke, who emceed the event, were among those in attendance.
“This program is changing and saving lives,” Clarke said, on the importance of City Year in the community.
City Year’s overall goal is to foster leadership, idealism and goodwill within future generations. Re mused about what might have happened had her humanitarian organization partnered with “Star Wars” a little sooner.
“In this episode, ‘Revenge of the Sith,’ we find out why Darth Vader went to the dark side. Just think – what if he had a City Year corps member to mentor him?” she joked. “What if he had the opportunity to be a Young Hero? Maybe he wouldn’t have gone to the dark side…”
