Children's Cancer Center Annual Carnival

Troop #34

My mom is the bomb. She works for an insurance company that places non-profit organizations with appropriate insurance providers. One of her customers, the Children's Cancer Center of Tampa, Florida was very excited to hear about the 501st Legion and our charity works. After a few months of negotiated a proper venue for out group to participate in. The CCC has an annual carnival that provides the families from the center a place for outdoor activities, games, and just general carnival fun.

We lucked out by being able to have an entire sleeping dorm to ourselves for changing and staging our members. We also got to take over the library at the camp ground where it was being hosted. Members brought toys, action figures, sticker, temp tattoos, and props for a display table. We also had an authentic Star Wars backdrop inside the library so the children and families could take photos with our costumed members.

This was our first troop (let alone the first troop I have setup for our group) with the CCC and they were more than impressed. Our members showed up in force for a total of 24 costumed characters, some driving almost two hours just to be there. It opened the door to many more events for the 501st and the CCC to form a partnership to better the lives of children.

Walk Now For Autism

Troop #32

Total Donations : $144,508

On March 28th, despite over 40 mile an hour winds, over 2800 people walked at MOSI in Tampa for the 2009 Tampa Bay Walk Now for Autism, the kick-off party to the 2009 Autism Speaks Tampa Bay Annual Fundraising Campaign. The walkers from more than 210 teams, raised over $140,000. We are now over half way to our $250,000 goal!

We would like to thank Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio for presenting a proclamation declaring March 28th Autism Awareness Day in Tampa. A very special thanks to the Tampa Bay 501st Legion for bringing their amazing Star Wars characters to the walk. Thank you to DJ Elvis for always keeping the music playing and Keith Connors from The New Magic 94.9 for welcoming our guests. Thank you to David Glickman for MCing the stage program. Thank you to the 49 resource fair vendors and to all of the companies who donated snack and drinks. A VERY special thank you to our sponsors. Thank you to Tammy Berk from Berk Photography and Troy Salisbury from Photographic Memories for donating their time and talents.

Thank you to the 2009 Tampa Bay Planning Committee for their hard work and dedication to making the event a success. They are the true heroes.

Pinellas Park Parade

Troop #25

The 36th Annual Pinellas Park Parade brought out about 30 members from the local 501st Legion. A 2.3 mile walk in full armor is more than taxing on your body but well worth it. Seeing the families reaction as we came walking down Park Blvd. was an astounding feeling and at times made you forget that you lost feeling in your legs long ago. We had a good respresentation of all Star Wars characters from Storm Troopers to Vader himself. We also had a competition show truck decorated with our banner. Awesome troop & I cannot wait until next year to do it again!


That Guy Brian (our local Vader) hosted a pre-parade BBQ for the troops. This was especially cool because it marked the first appearence of another member of ours, Shadow Scar (Robert) who had previously broken his leg in three places at another event November 2008. Shadow Scar's costume is of a Black Hole trooper, or Shadow Trooper which is basically an all black Storm Trooper. So...with plenty of time on my hands I found an action figure of his character, got some white athletic tape, Elmer's glue, and went to work on a special gift to show our appreciation for his dedication to trooping. That Guy Brain helped removing it from the package carefully so we could operate on the figure and return it to the package without notice. Below are the pictures of Robert and his new gift. He was still in his wheelchair at this event and his spirits were quite down due to his injury preventing him from being able to work. And to speak even further to Robert's love and dedication to trooping, he suited up in his costume sans the legs, got into his wheelchair, and strapped it into the back of the truck so he could do his part in the parade. Bravo Robert.

Trooping For The Troops

Troop #23

We visited James A. Haley Veteran's Hospital located in Tampa, Florida to show our appreciation, respect, and admiration to the soldiers who are there in recovery, permanent residency, or treatment due to injuries obtained in the line of battle. Fair warning: the images below are very graphic.

As many of my friends and family know I am vastly opposed to war. I know, I know...everybody is, too. But I find it a repulsive example of our inability to evolve as a species beyond murdering each other in countless numbers for pride, resources and sovereignty. After a long debate on whether I should go or not I decided that I would go just to support a fellow members' troop regardless of my opinion. I am glad that I went.

We met some pretty amazing individuals that ranged from young to old. Every war within recent, modern history is covered here within it's patients. Seeing the death tolls rise on television, hearing about suicide bombings in Iraq and Afganistan, and hearing the horror stories about Vietnam is commonplace for us Americans, thanks to our ever-so-agenda setting media. But seeing the result(s) of war firsthand was a life changing experience. Standing beside the bed of a man who is only alive because of artificial means while looking up at the wedding pictures of him as a healthy young man 11 months prior changes your perspective on things to say the least. My opinions slowly started to melt away and I felt like my chest was going to collapse. Do you say "thank you" to them? Do you see this and realize just how much more you hate war, or more appropriately, the reasons and pathetic existence of war? A great divide indeed. But how about both options?

One mother in particular made me lose my invariable position and mindset. She wheeled out her son who I am guessing is about 23-25. He can no longer speak, walk, use his arms, feed himself, shower, play sports or video games, hug his loved ones, or create a child. As she brought him to us she was very excited and announced "I told you I'd bring you Star Wars for your birthday! Here they are! Look!" His face brightened up enough to be visibly excited about being within a foot or so of Darth Vader and other Star Wars characters. As his mother repeated to him her excitement for him experiencing this she started to break down and cry, reaching quickly to one of our members and holding onto them. This was the one and only time I have ever been thankful that I was wearing a helmet hiding my face because I was no longer able to hold back my emotions.

Did this troop change me? Absolutely. Did it make me sympathetic to the reasons for war? No. I learned and grew emotionally and mentally from this event. Though I despise the fact that war exists and bite my tongue at most pro-war idiots out there, being able to spend time with and brighten the day of somebody who was dedicated to something knowing the risks is much, much bigger than my opinion or ego. They did something selflessly because of passion, it's only right that I do the same.

Dragon Con [Recap]

Troop #20

Holy shit Batman. I've heard about the madness of Dragon Con for years and have wanted to go. Luck would have it I had a place to stay for free for the 5 day event. Luck would also have it that this meant I would be going to and from the downtown Atlanta hotels where it was being held fully dressed in my Storm Trooper costume via the MARTA subway system. Yes...yes I did.

Dragon Con is not for the faint of heart. In the blink of an eye you can be talking a 5 year old dressed in a Halloween Storm Trooper costume and immediately be surrounded by 2 girls dressed in nothing but lingerie, whipping each other against concrete pillars. This event creates a massive divide of moral and immoral with a split second between each. It's exciting, fun, action-packed, exhausting, scary, sexy, drunk, and nerdy all wrapped into one. In other words, it's what every piece of life should be made of.

Highlights of my Dragon Con adventure: I got to meet Jeremy Bullock (who played Boba Fett in the Star Wars original trilogy). I got to meet the founder of the 501st Legion, Albin Johnson. I got to scare the shit out of completely innocent subway passengers while in my costume. I played a musical instrument with The Beatles. I spent significant amounts of time with some people very close and important to my life. I learned a lot about those people close to me, too. I drove around in an SUV wearing a Storm Trooper helmet. I made my video premiere in a White & Nerdy youtube video (Rapping Storm Trooper). Made friends with some of the Con Vixens. Got really shit faced drunk. Stayed in my costume for over 17 hours.

Low points of my Dragon Con adventure: The most regretful was watching Daniel Logan (played the young Boba Fett in Episode II) wave at me frantically to have me hold the elevator but not realizing it was him until the door had shut. Not being able to do the downtown Atlanta march with the other 200+ 501st Legion members there (NEVER stay with 3 young women who are dependent on you for driving). Not planning out minute by minute what I wanted to do in order to fit everything that I wanted to enjoy into my schedule.

All in all, D-Con is the shit. I saw so many unique, funny, vivid, sexy, odd costumes in one sitting. Between my niece, Allison, and myself taking photos there are well over a thousand and I really wish I could post them all here. But I will spare your eyes and dignity and only post those that give you a fair vision of what D-Con 2008 was all about.