CANAL WINCHESTER, Ohio — Douglas Bickert was around 10 years old when Star Wars took off. His parents were educators. His dad was a superintendent and his mom was a librarian.
“To me, I wanted to have something to add, to give back,” he said.
So, that’s what he does.
The financial advisor by trade took his fandom of a galaxy far, far away and turned it into a teachable tool.
In 2015, after three years of research, Bickert built a life-sized R2-D2 droid. It took two years to complete.
Wednesday, in celebration of May the Fourth, Bickert was at Canal Winchester Middle School.
“Every time I do a school there is one child at least who actually goes ‘Why’,” he said. “And that just opens the door.”
In the early 1980s, he says there were no bullying policies in school, which was something he says he experienced often. By building R2, he says it represents perseverance.
“I want [children] to know that they have a voice and they can talk with people and I’ll talk about my experiences with bullying and how I harness a lot of that to build this,” he said.
Going along with that, he says it’s what Star Wars represents; overcoming adversity, acceptance, adventure and making a difference.
“I just looked at it as how do you get a message out,” he said. “You have to have something that catches the eye.”
A glob of grease? No. A great gift.
“Children need to know they have a voice,” he said.