Star Wars Inspiration: Rebel Cause Lancaster
Welcome to a new series called "Star Wars Inspiration." In this series, The Star Wars Guru has reached out to other Star Wars fans who are authors, creators, organization owners, and all around bad asses, to hear how Star Wars has inspired them to do what they do. To start this series off, Kaden, creator of Rebel Cause Lancaster, writes about Star Wars shaping his life and his non-profit organization.
Thanks to my father, one of my first memories is watching a farm boy from nowhere take down the Death Star. So, it's easy to understand why my head was always in the stars. Star Wars has always been more than a movie for me, it is my inner mythology. My childhood was a bit crazy and I found myself clinging to the stories about a group of rebels who overcame all odds and did the impossible, for no other reason than to get my mind off things. I lost myself in this galaxy far, far away, and it is one of the best things that ever happened to me. I found myself relating to Luke Skywalker, a young man from Tatooine who had dreams of being more. Thrown into a larger world, he faced the demons of his past, fought for his friends and what he believed in. Luke looked the seductive power of the dark side in the face and simply said, "no."
Easy to say, I have always wanted to be a Jedi. I spent my adolescence dreaming of what my life would be like if I was one, as I’m sure many others have. A few years ago, I found myself sitting in my living room watching the first episode of STAR WARS REBELS. The Ghost crew delivered food to the homeless on Lothal, and that inspired the Hell out of me. From that moment on I knew I wanted to start my own rebellion, not against a government or a political party, but a rebellion against evil itself...a rebellion of hope. With all things, I first needed a name (obviously something cool) and something that would truly embrace what we stood for. I came up with the name "Rebel Cause." A group of Star Wars fans dedicated to uniting the fandom and doing good in our community. We have events in my home town of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where fans can come together to have a ton of fun doing trivia, playing Star Wars games, and even learning some real lightsaber forms. All while raising money for the Water Street Rescue Mission. I have always wanted to make a difference. I feel, through these amazing stories known as Star Wars, I have been able to do so.
I can not even begin to explain how many amazing people I have met, through this fandom, that I call some of my best friends. I encourage people to get behind the idea that even a small act of kindness can change the universe. Because just like the Force, kindness and compassion binds the galaxy together. I feel as though I can finally say, "I am a Jedi, like my father before me."
To find out more about my Rebellion of Hope find us on Facebook at Rebel Cause Lancaster, Twitter by clicking here, and our website here. May the Force be With you...always.