Cards, bags and games: everything that has to do with Pokémon could be viewed yesterday at a fan and gathering day at the Motivation for you gym in Zaandam. With great interest, organizer Linda Scholten saw: “We expected a large turnout, but it’s great that it has become so big.”
When the reporter comes in, a mother is just leaving with her child. Rushed, it seems. “Get out of here quickly, otherwise we’ll be bankrupt!” And indeed: the prices of some tickets do not lie. Yet there is also plenty for children for sale, says a seller: “Today we have deliberately opted for reasonable rates because it is fun for the children, it has to be a bit accessible.”
It is striking that there are also a lot of adults, and not just because their children wanted to watch on the collection day.
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Pokémonmania in Zaandam – NH Nieuws
Pokémon-TikTokker Mourad El Hannouti is also on the collection day with tickets. He tells about his channel with a big smile: “We go live a lot, we play different games and do everything to create happiness.”
Kids happy again
Organizer Linda Scholten – owner of the gym where she organized the day – says she wanted to organize something fun for children. “There is a lot of negativity, corona was also a ‘down period’ for children. I also have a thirteen-year-old son and he was not very happy about it.”
“Then we thought: ‘we have to give it a nice vibe’. That the children become happy again and they start doing fun things. The intention is that children are busy with things other than shooting games or with negativity.”
El Hannouti also knows people who are depressed and who still have something with this hobby. “Collecting and saving is fun. The community is great. Pokémon helps them through it.”
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