Get to Know Your MI501st :: August, 2011

Michael Lica
Legion ID: 5156
Joined August, 2010

Mike Lica (TK 5156) was inspired to join the 501st Legion while attending the Motor City Comic Con. “I saw a bunch of Star Wars characters walking around and I always admired the design of Stormtrooper armor, but I never thought there was a great organization like the 501st legion until that day”, says Mike.
Soon after, Mike built his own Stormtrooper armor and joined the club. Since then he has trooped almost 50 events! When asked what has been his favorite event, he says “It would be difficult to say what my most favorite event is without first mentioning the most meaningful events like the hospital visits and fundraisers”. Mike has trooped in a lot of really fun events such as being on stage with Sugarland or Weird Al Yankovic in front of thousands of their fans but he says those type of events never compare to the one smile you can create by visiting a sick child in a hospital bed.”

Mike’s earliest Star Wars memory takes him back to when he was a kid. His mom worked at a local drug store. “Back then, they used to put trading cards in loaves of Wonder Bread. One day my mom brought home the entire set. The movie wasn't even released yet and while looking at the cards I saw a Stormtrooper for the first time!” He remembers it like it was yesterday. Shortly after seeing the movie, Mike’s dad came home with a bunch of Star Wars figures that he had purchased at Kmart. “I remember we opened them and stood them up on the table while tossing the packaging into the garbage. Who knew that they would be worth hundreds of dollars in the box? Nobody knew the impact that Star Wars would have on the world”. As a hobby Mike still collects Star Wars memorabilia and has a pretty extensive collection. His collection has expanded to building what he cannot buy – as Mike and his brother Jerry are building their very own R2D2 droid.

Since joining the 501st Legion, Mike’s life has been very busy. “In one short year, I visited schools, hospitals, concerts, fundraisers, and hockey games just to name a few. Mike says, “All of the time I spent laying around doing nothing is gone. All of that wasted time now has a meaningful purpose.”

When Mike is not imposing the will of the galactic empire, he operates a carpet cleaning, repair, and inspection service company. Before that, he served our country for 10 years in the Navy’s Submarine Force. He and his wife Kristie have raised two kids, Nic and Heather, who are both currently in college. He enjoys spending time with his wife and friends.

View Michael's profile...