Milton councillor’s election campaign takes you to a galaxy far, far away for a good cause
Published September 3, 2021 at 4:50 pm
“The Force” is in this election and that’s good for Milton charities.
While many local residents are still mulling over who to support in the upcoming federal election, Milton Councillor Rick Di Lorenzo is playfully suggesting you get behind the campaigns of Star Wars characters Darth Vader or Obi Wan Kenobi.
You can even throw your support behind a character from Harry Potter by donating money to the Milton District Hospital or a local charity of your choice.
Make a donation and Di Lorenzo says he’ll come and put up a sign on the lawn of your Milton residence.
With campaign slogans like “Together we can rule the galaxy,” he says how can one not get behind the fun, especially when it’s for a good cause.
PEOPLE ENJOYING IT
“People have been really enjoying it,” said Di Lorenzo, who has been surprised by the publicity his fun election signs have drawn. “There’s been a lot of sarcasm and even with the signs people have been playing it off and kind of getting serious about the different candidates. Everyone has been having a good time.
Videos
“It’s light hearted and it’s not meant to be critical or an attack on any political party or candidate. I tried that with all three signs and added a Harry Potter one as well, a green sign, to try and be non-partisan and sort of poking fun about the election and the candidates.”
Di Lorenzo came up with the idea after his traditional Milton Haunted House Fundraiser, that would draw some 2,000 people inside the Milton Mall, was cancelled last year and this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s too many people in an enclosed space, so I was trying a different way to raise money for Milton District Hospital,” he said. “It’s been very dear to me. Both of my kids were born in the Milton hospital and we had some medical conditions and at the time Milton did not have the proper equipment, so I have been trying to raise money for the hospital ever since.”
GREW UP WATCHING STAR WARS
Di Lorenzo found a few similar Star Wars election sign campaigns online in Canada and the United States and felt it was the perfect way to raise money for the Milton hospital.
“I’ve always been a fan of Star Wars,” he said. “I was born in 1972, so I kind of grew up as a child watching Star Wars Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.”
Normally the price of election signs can be expensive, but Di Lorenzo found with this being election season right now he could purchase them cheaply.
“I found very quickly I could do 100 signs for about $3 a sign,” he explained. “Getting an average donation of $20 a sign that quickly adds up to raising a couple of thousand for the hospital.”
The Milton councillor originally posted about the campaign on Facebook and Twitter and was soon receiving messages.
He did a Tik Tok video where he had over 2,000 likes and 200 shares. His post on Reddit was shared very frequently.
“From there it really exploded very quickly,” said Di Lorenzo, who admits he partially worries about getting sued by Disney.
As for whose signs have been the most popular and appears to be winning the campaign, well that’s Luke’s father.
“Surprisingly most people want the Darth Vadar sign,” he said.
SIGN DELIVERED TO YOUR RESIDENCE
Those wanting a sign, can go to facebook.com/rickdl. People are asked to make a donation to the Milton District Hospital or a local charity and send him a screen capture. Di Lorenzo will deliver the sign to your residence in Milton.
While he’s hoping for local residents to take part in his fun election, Di Lorenzo hopes they don’t forget the actual federal election.
“On a serious note, I hope everyone remembers to vote,” the Milton councillor said. “We have a vote coming up and please take part in our election and vote for the candidate that best represents your values.”
insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising