Force is with friendly neighbour
A Star Wars obsessed Rototuna man has decided to show off his extravagant collection.
A Hamilton man who invited his neighbours to view his Star Wars collection has had to hire a church hall to cope with the interest.
Star Wars obsessor Darren Mordecai said that in order to meet his newfound Rototuna community, he decided to share his $25,000 Star Wars collection in May.
Mordecai, who shifted to Rototuna last month, has everything from an R2D2 model to Star Wars chewing gum in his 450-piece collection.
“When we came over here, I made the decision that, hey, I need to get to know my new community, so I’ll invite a few people round,” said Mordecai.
Originally the idea was to host the event in his home, but Mordecai said that Facebook attendance numbers grew and he decided to find a new location.
“I put a post on Facebook on Saturday morning – by about 2pm there was about 50 people interested, 60, 70. Sunday there was 150. I said, okay, no one’s coming through my house any more,” Mordecai said.
After contacting various possible venues around the community, he settled on the Chapel Hill Community Church.
Sian Wilson, mother of two boys in Rototuna, said the event is a good idea. “It’s tapping into a current trend and will attract lots of locals, coming together as Star Wars fans.”
The event will be split in two, a morning session and an afternoon session, and will include a two-part theatrical session including characters such as Scout Troopers, Storm Troopers, Wookiees, Han Solo, and a special guest.
The items on display will include Mordecai’s very first R2D2, purchased in 1977, a packet of Star Wars chewing gum from 1977, a prop from Empire Strikes Back, micro machine play sets, and even an R2D2 coloured Dodge Challenger.
The event will be held on May 14 at the Chapel Hill Community Church in Rototuna.
