Fri-YAY: Baby Yoda Goes West

As George R.R. Martin wrote in the Game of Thrones books, the night is dark and full of terrors, the day bright and beautiful and full of hope. In this space I plan to mention something that makes me smile: an organization, a story I found, a cute picture, really anything that brightens up my day and I hope might brighten up your day too.

Last week, the Washington Post ran an uplifting story about a 5 year-old boy in Oregon who was prescient to know exactly what firefighters battling the wildfires in the state needed: a little help from a friend.

Sasha Tinning took her 5-year-old grandson, Carver, grocery shopping earlier this month to buy granola bars and other snacks to contribute to a donation drive for firefighters battling wildfires in Oregon.

But when Tinning ended up in the toy aisle that day, Sept. 12, her eyes — and Carver’s — were drawn to a Baby Yoda doll, the last one on the shelf.

“I said, ‘The firefighters could use a friend, couldn’t they?’ ” said Tinning, 54, who lives in Scappoose, Ore., about 20 miles north of Portland.

“He would be a very good friend for them,” she recalled Carver saying.

Carver and Tinning dropped Baby Yoda off at a donation tent, where The Child was an instant hit with volunteers and firefighters alike, so much so that they have become a mascot of sorts. They have already traveled to Colorado, and their presence has been requested in California and Canada and they may even head to Australia for their fire season (maybe if they get a passport, we will find out if The Child is a boy or girl?).

As any Star Wars fan worth their salt knows, the Force is strong, particularly with The Child, who made their debut in 2019 on the Disney+ series The Mandalorian. I can’t think of a better talisman for the firefighters hard at work.

You can follow Baby Yoda’s western journey via the Baby Yoda Fights Fires Facebook page. And get ready for Season 2 of the Mandalorian, which starts streaming October 30 on Disney+!

Safety first! The Child received a COVID-19 test in Colorado. Thankfully, they tested negative!