Thousands of Sith Lords, Jedi Knights, Ewoks and humans filled Berkley Riverfront on May 6, 2017. They were all gathered to achieve a common goal– to set the Guinness World Record for largest lightsaber battle in the galaxy at an event called “Battle 4 KC.”
Each ticket holder was given an official, custom lightsaber. Many arrived dressed in costume. As Star Wars enthusiasts filtered into the park, local KC band The Phantastics played live music and wielded their own lightsabers on stage.
Then came the time to battle. As an official Guinness World Records officiant watched on, fans swung their lightsabers for the required 10 minutes. The final count came in at 2,840 tickets sold, a bit short of Guinness’s 3,500 person minimum to set an official group record.
However, the world record was just one aspect of a multifaceted event. Another key goal was to benefit patients at Children’s Mercy Hospital and increase awareness for cystic fibrosis. Children at the hospital participated in a “May the 4th Be With You” Star Wars event with light sabers donated by the cause. The event raised around $30,000, which will be donated to the Children’s Mercy Cystic Fibrosis Endocrine Center.
There are already plans to make the event even bigger next year and go for the world record once again.
The event was organized by Friends of the River, a volunteer board of local professionals. Port KC was a major sponsor for the event.
