Sci-Fi Vibes in the Library

Cloud City Garrison

Star Wars characters large and small, many with robes and packing light sabers, were having a blast Wednesday at the Sci-Fi Fantasy Family Night in the library of Pacific Middle School.

Darth Vader, with his huge black helmet and electronically deep and gruff voice, was giving off dark-side vibes. Nonetheless, he was being circled by children who wanted to meet him, and moms waiting with cameras.

And there was Darth Maul, with his scary red face and devil horns, and Jango Fett, a human who was adopted by Mandalorian warriors in the Star Wars tales, in his silver-and-blue uniform and rocket pack of a bounty hunter and assassin.

And there was a hulking Imperial crewman, in all-black cap, uniform, gun and boots, a bad guy looking like the worst cop ever.

An estimated 200 elementary- and middle-school children were there with their parents, in an event designed to promote reading and collect some donations for worthy causes. It also was a plug for school librarians who feel their jobs are threatened as officials with Evergreen Public Schools wrestle with dwindling funds.

The organizer of the event, librarian and teacher Paul Warner, was dressed in the robes of a Jedi knight and carrying a light saber he bought at Target.

“I’ve been a Star Wars fan and a fan of all science-fiction fantasy books since I was 8 years old,” Warner said. “That’s what got me into reading, right there.”

Warner is a friend of Kevin Woodman, a volunteer with the Cloud City Garrison chapter of the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers, a group of about 50 who dress up as Star Wars characters and appear at about 50 events per year, including corporate events and private birthday parties, to raise money for a variety of charities including Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland.

Woodman attended the party at Pacific with several members in a variety of Star Wars costumes.

Darth Maul was an eighth-grader at Pacific, Hayden Bubby, who loves books and said the new Sci-Fi Club at Pacific gets kids thinking about “genres” including movies and books.

The eighth-grade orchestra was on hand to play the Star Wars theme, conducted with a light sword, and there were giveaways of books.

Half of the donations went to the library and half to help victims of the disasters in Japan.

Woodman says the Cloud City Garrison helps raise money for many causes, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and members like to put on costumes and visit children who have cancer.

“We’ve gone into hospital rooms with a little boy or girl in there. Just for a few minutes they get to escape from their world and into ours,” Woodman said.