SciFiSland.com spoke with Chris Feehan, development assistant at the Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County and member of the 501st Legion’s Empire City Garrison, about the 3rd Annual CPNassau Sci-Fi Mini-Con, which took place on Saturday, July 20th at Levittown Hall in Hicksville.
From noon until 5pm last Saturday, the 3rd Annual CPNassau Sci-Fi Mini-Con was held at Levittown Hall in Hicksville, a half-day event to bring together fans, celebrities, cosplayers, and vendors for a day of sci-fi fun all while supporting the Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County.
Building on the success of previous years, this year’s mini-con was bigger and better than ever, offering a fantastic day of Long Island geek culture for all attendees.
“CPNassau raised just over $6,000 at the event, which is incredible for a free local event that only lasted 5 hours,” said Chris Feehan, development assistant at the Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County, in an email to SciFiSland.com. “This was also $1,000 more than what was raised last year, so we hope to continue this as a yearly event for the organization.
The con boasted an impressive lineup of guests, including actress Catherine Mary Stewart, actor and author Joe Zaso, actor William Ragsdale, authors Shannon Collins and Michael Jan Friedman, artist and author Gina Falke, and cosplayers Angel_Ta2, Jacobella Luongo, Abigail, and Ruby Rinekso. Each brought their unique flair, engaging with fans and adding to the event’s vibrant atmosphere.
Cosplayer groups such as the 501st Legion’s Empire City Garrison, the Rebel Legion’s Echo Base, and the Saber Guild’s Endor Temple were present in full force. The Long Island Ghostbusters also made a memorable appearance. The con featured iconic movie cars, including the Ghostbusters’ Ecto-1 style Minivan, the Mandalorian Speeder Bike, and three DeLoreans, delighting fans and providing perfect photo opportunities.
Feehan, who is also a member of the 501st Legion’s Empire City Garrison, thanked everyone who made the event a success.
“We would like to thank all the guests, fan groups, and vendors who attended to make this a truly special event and a true con experience,” he said.
He estimated that there were over 1,500 people in attendance throughout the day.
“Which was amazing since the only advertising done was online, through word of mouth, and a radio interview done the week of the event,” said Feehan.
A standout moment was the 501st Legion’s panel, where they honored 9-year-old Matty, a young cancer warrior, by making him an Honorary Trooper and member of the ECG. XO Justin Weiss and his daughter Megan donated a child-size Shadow Scout Trooper armor set and a helmet, surprising Matty with the honorary certificates and armor. The ECG hopes to work with Matty and his family in the future to raise money for childhood cancer research.
“It was a touching and moving act of kindness and a day Matty will never forget,” said Feehan.
Jovia Credit Union was the headline sponsor, supporting the event alongside PDQ Chicken, which provided coupons and swag to attendees. CPNassau set up a large station at the entrance, offering snacks, drinks, raffles, and activity tickets, with all proceeds going to charity. The 501st Legion’s Empire City Garrison ran a Blast-A-Trooper activity and photo ops, while the Saber Guild offered a show and Jedi training. The Ghostbusters hosted an online giveaway for a HasLabs Proton Pack, and the 501st Legion held an online giveaway for a Sabine Wren Lightsaber, raising a combined $2,500.
Head over to the show’s website to see more information and to find out more about the great work being done by Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County.
Scroll down for some more pics from the con courtesy of Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County.
