Garrison News
| MWG November 2013 Trooper of the Month! | |
| By BLUERAM on Jan 3, 2014 at 5:26 PM. | |
 Brian Troyan and Darcy Anne Jorgensen (foreground) Thanks to Thomas Spanos for the photo! Congratulations to Darcy Anne Jorgensen ,"Peanut" TB-81470 for being voted Trooper of the Month for November 2013! Darcy has been nominated for her efforts at The Chicago Toy and Game Fair (ChiTAG), November 23 & 24, 2013. While she has only been an official member since August, Darcy has been part of the family for years and has more that earned the honor of being recognized for her efforts! Brian Troyan (MWG Commanding officer) nominated our "Peanut" and had this to say, "Darcy has been a mainstay at Garrison events large and small for years, long before she was officially a member. At ChiTAG this year, she worked the Blast-a-Trooper booth almost non-stop for the entire weekend, explaining the game and the charity, taking donations, collecting darts, reloading guns, and ultimately helping to raise $1436.00 for LaSalle County XMas 4 Kids. She's actually performed this same tireless duty at the last two Wizard World Chicago Comic Cons, at last year's ChiTAG, and at the C2E2 Imperial Academy. In fact, at almost every major fundraiser that we've done in the last two or three years involving hundreds of foam projectiles flying in every direction, Darcy has been in the trenches on the front lines. And on top of everything else, her can-do, positive attitude is nothing short of indefatigable. In fact, the only thing that I have ever seen dampen her spirits is finding out that she might not be able to make it to a troop. She always has a smile and a laugh to share with everyone in the garrison. Events are more fun with her around. Darcy deserves the honor of Midwest Garrison Trooper of the Month, not just for the work that she performed this past November, but for all of the work that she has done to promote the MWG and our charitable causes since the time that she first borrowed her mother's Biker Scout costume years ago. We are extremely lucky to have her in the Garrison and in the Legion, and official recognition of her contributions is long overdue." |
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| MWG October 2013 Trooper(s) of the Month! | |
| By BLUERAM on Dec 8, 2013 at 6:06 PM. | |
 Thanks to Mike Smith for the photo! Congratulations to both Shannon Buetsch, BH-82371(Left) and Kim Worley, DZ-12108(right) for being voted Trooper(s) of the Month for October 2013! These two are textbook examples of what our group is all about! Great job and keep up the Excellent work! Both were nominated by Steve Gaza, TK/BH 4034 "October cannot go through without the recognition of TWO troopers that have jumped into this legion feet first and running!!!!!" Shannon was nominated for her Coordination of the Kane County Toy Show on October 27th, 2013. Steve also had this to say for this exceptional trooper "Shannon is as dedicated as they come. Having only become a member since August of this year, Shannon is on her way to topping 20 troops this year. But she is not satisfied with merely attending troops. Shannon wanted to dive right into becoming an Event coordinator and did a spectacular job setting up the St. Charles toy show. IT was a fantastic turnout and we have been invited back with open arms because of her efforts! She has taken on at least three other events before the end of the year. KEEP it up, Girl!!!!!" Take a look HERE for more photos from this event. Kim was nominated for coordinating "THE' Tusken Gathering and photoshoot on October 26th, 2013. More from Steve on the outstanding character of this trooper "Kim has only been a registered member of the Garrison since June of this year. However, accompanied by her husband Hawk, Kim has not only attended almost 20 troops but has developed the means to build an affordable Tusken Raider costume not only for herself, but for at least 8 other members that I know of. She then orchestrated a Tusken Raider photoshoot that was a total blast for all the 19 (I think) Tuskens that showed up. WAY TO GO, KIM!!!" Take a look HERE for a group shot and other pictures from the outing! |
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| MWG September 2013 Trooper of the Month! | |
| By BLUERAM on Nov 6, 2013 at 6:58 PM. | |
 Congratulations to Mark "BLUERAM" Berry, TB/BH-4265 for being voted Trooper of the Month for September 2013! Mark was nominated for his efforts with the Pekin, IL Marigold Festival! "Okay, he's probably going to hunt me down for this because he's part of the Command Staff and feels it's part of the job, but I'm not letting all the hard work go unnoticed. This was Mark's "baby" for quite a few months worth of time & effort. The city decided to go with a Star Wars Theme for their annual festival and BLUERAM was very involved in the process of putting things together. This involved many nights of festival planning meetings. It started with scheduling Peter Mayhew as special celebrity guest, then having to make other arrangements due to Peter's knee surgery. Daniel Logan and Tom Kane were found as suitable replacements. There were multiple events tied in with the two days of Marigold including a photoshoot with organizers to promote the event, a wine tasting evening, a parade, Imperial Academy, celebrity Q & A session, BAT, and an after party. There was also a wedding proposal that made the local news. Great trooper turnout and a very successful few days. I believe the host has already suggested another strong involvement for next year. In addition, Mark has been hosting armor parties to assist the growing amount of new recruits with their builds." nominated by 9255 Keven Marion "Thank you all! A special thank you to everyone who helped make the Marigold festival a huge success! No matter how much planning or work behind the scenes takes place the event is nothing without you guys!" Mark Berry |
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| Event Spotlight: Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk | |
| By jweger77 on Oct 17, 2013 at 12:37 PM. | |
 Donations raised so far: $4471.00!! Almost everyone has been touched by breast cancer in some way, including us! The Midwest Garrison and Rebel Legion Nar Shaddaa Base are once again joining forces for the 8th consecutive year in hopes of bringing breast cancer to an end in our universe. We are showing that the good guys and the bad guys of the Star Wars sagas can put their differences aside to fight this terrible illness. Come walk with us on October 20th at Pattawatomie Park in St, Charles, Illinois at 9:00am to show your support , have your picture taken with a Star Wars character, and help us "FORCE" breast cancer out of this world! Today 1 of every 2 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer reaches out to the American Cancer Society for help and support. The donations our team raises will enable investment in groundbreaking breast cancer research, free information and services for women diagnosed with the disease, and access to mammograms for women who need them. Our donations will help more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors celebrate another birthday this year! Why We Support the American Cancer Society Saving lives from breast cancer starts one team, one walker, and one dollar at a time. We know that the American Cancer Society is the leader in the fight to end breast cancer. We know that supporting them will ensure that if you need someone to talk to anytime of the day or night, they?ll be there. If your friend is losing her hair from chemo, your mother needs a ride to treatment, or a loved one needs a place to stay when treatment is far from home, they will be there to help. Join us and together we will walk for a world without breast cancer. For more information on this fantastic event, or to donate to our team; please visit: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCCY13IL?team_id=1449814&pg=team&fr_id=55793 |
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| MWG August 2013 Trooper of the Month! | |
| By jweger77 on Oct 11, 2013 at 12:45 PM. | |
 The entire Midwest Garrison wishes to congratulate our Trooper of the Month for August 2013; Steve Gaza (TK-4034)! Steve was certainly a force for good during the month of August in the MWG. He was nominated for many things attributed to his efforts during the month. Steve coordinated several fantastic events including; The American Cancer Society Relay for Life, the Kick-Off Party for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, as well as Star Wars Night at the Kane County Cougars. Steve was a great help in seeing Star Wars Night go off without a hitch when he stepped forward to offer to take over the event from a fellow trooper dealing with a death in the family. Steve also spent a lot of time as a target in our Blast-A-Trooper Booth during Wizard World Chicago Comic Con as well, spending two entire days of the con manning the booth! This greatly aided our successful fundraising efforts at the Con. Steve is a great example of what makes The Midwest Garrison and The 501st Legion wonderful; his service, attitude, and assistance to many are fantastic! We thank you Steve for continuing to do what you do as always. Great job Steve, now a 3-time winner of The Midwest Garrison Trooper of the Month Award! |
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| Star Wars Reads Day 2013 Sat, Oct. 5th | |
| By jweger77 on Oct 1, 2013 at 11:38 AM. | |
 What is SWRD? It's a great chance for kids and adults to celebrate the thrill of reading, aided by Star Wars-related events and activities. Last year, more than 1,200 Star Wars Reads Day events took place across the USA. This year you can find one or set up an event via http://www.starwars.com/reads or http://www.facebook.com/StarWarsReads. The Midwest Garrison will be fully deployed with 16 (confirmed so far) appearances across Illinois! We've fielded dozens of appearance requests and have called upon the full might of the Empire to be present for as many as possible! We will be joining over 1500 members of The 501st Legion around the world to make Star Wars Reads Day II even bigger than last year! Come on out and see your favorite Star Wars characters as we promote literacy and a life-long love of reading! We also suggest you download the official SWRD activity kit; http://starwars.com/media/general/SWRD-2013-Activity-Kit-Final-Color.pdf It includes fun stuff like recipes (Yoda Soda), crafts (make a Yoda puppet) and games. Many of them tie in with recently published Star Wars books, like Brown's Vader's Little Princess and Quirk Books' William Shakespeare's Star Wars. Here is a list of locations that we will be attending on Saturday, October 5th. Please note, the first event in Rockford will occur on Friday, Oct, 4. Please check back for updates and new additions! Locations (These appearances are confirmed, please do check with host location on day of event for final confirmation of times) 6:30-8:00pm Fri 10/4*** Wonderland Books*** 1625 North Alpine Rd, Rockford, Il 9:30a-Noon*** Frankfort Public Library*** 21119 S Pfeiffer Rd Frankfort, Il 10:00a-Noon*** Lisle Public Library*** 777 Front St, Lisle, Il 10:30a-11:30a*** Barnes & Noble*** Old Orchard, Skokie, Il 10:30a-Noon*** Barnes & Noble*** 5001 N. Big Hollow Rd, Peoria, Il 11:30a-12:30*** Algonquin Public Library*** 26 Harnish Drive, Algonquin, Il Noon-3:00*** Barnes & Noble*** 65 North Market St, Champaign, Il 1:00p-3:00*** Bloomingdale Public Library*** 101 Fairfield Way, Bloomingdale, Il 1:00p-4:00*** Plainfield Library*** 15025 S. Illinois St, Plainfield, Il 2:00p-3:00*** McHenry Public Library*** 809 Front St, McHenry, Il 2:00p-4:00*** Naperville Public Library*** 3015 Cedar Glade Drive, Naperville, Il 2:00p-4:00*** Bloomington Public Library*** 205 E. Olive, Bloomington, Il 2:00p-4:00*** BAM*** 6601 Edwardsville Crossing Dr, Edwardsville, Il 2:30p-4:00*** Barnes & Noble*** 5405 Touhy (Village Crossing), Skokie, Il 3:30p-4:30*** Cary Public Library*** 1606 Three Oaks Rd, Cary, Il 4:30p-7:00*** Barnes & Noble*** 1701 E. Empire St, Bloomington, Il |
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| MWG July 2013 Trooper of the Month! | ||
| By BLUERAM on Sep 13, 2013 at 3:54 PM. | ||
Congratulations to Ted Ruler, SL-36285 for being voted Trooper of the Month for July 2013! Ted was nominated for his outstanding service to the Empire! Quote:
Ted started his conquest of July with the ever popular Bartlett Parade on the 7th. Kim Worley noticed that after Ted and everyone else had suited down, that a youngling had come over asking for a picture with his favorite character, Darth Maul. Despite the heat Ted put it all back on for one picture! July 13th Ted stepped up and took the reigns for the Hallmark sneak peak of Christmas ornaments at Amy's Hallmark in the Westfield Shopping center, Aurora , IL. this event had almost fallen through the cracks, but with one day left, he contacted members and made it happen! On July 20th he stepped in for a fellow Maul who couldn't make it to the White Sox game Stand up to Cancer/ Star Wars night. Although Ted had a rough night he managed to stay chipper and Maul-y, staying in character for the fans! The 28th of July he once again rose to the occasion and stepped in for a Fellow Maul who couldn't make the event. This time it was a Surprise Wedding reception in Peoria, IL. Ted had to start his makeup at 6am so he would still have time for the 3 hour drive. He also the picked up of a fellow trooper and Photographer on the way to the 4:00pm Wedding. This day alone Ted was in makeup for 15 hrs just so the Groom would have a Maul at the wedding! The topper on the month was his taking over of the Coordination duties the Oakbrook Terrace Relay for Life. He did this in late July when the previous coordinator had to step down for a family function. Talk about a Member jumping in with both feet! Buckets off to you Ted, you deserve it! |
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| The MWG has a full weekend of FUNdraising ahead! | |
| By BLUERAM on Sep 3, 2013 at 8:23 PM. | |
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We have TWO big events this weekend that will both benefit great causes. The first event is the Pekin Marigold Festival located in Central Illinois .  As you can see the Festival has just a touch of Star Wars flare! The festival starts on Thursday but we will only be in attendance on Saturday for the Parade and The Star Wars academy and on Sunday for the Celebrity Q&A, Blast-a-Trooper, and lead the Kids costume parade. We will be raising money for the Childrens Hospital of Illinois all weekend! Check out these links for a complete list of events! https://www.facebook.com/PekinMarigoldFestival http://www.pekinchamber.com/marigoldfestival.html The second event is the Misericordia Family Fest in Chicago on Sunday.  "The Mission of Misericordia/Heart of Mercy is to support individuals with developmental disabilities in maximizing their level of independence and self-determination within an environment that fosters spirituality, dignity, respect and enhancement of quality of life. We promote development of natural family and community support, community awareness, education and advocacy." from http://www.misericordia.com/. Check them out for more info on what they do! |
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| MWG June 2013 Trooper of the Month! | |
| By BLUERAM on Aug 12, 2013 at 3:36 PM. | |
 Congratulations to Lisa Schneider, TB-4806 for being voted Trooper of the Month for June! Lisa has been nominated for her efforts involving the Relay for Life of McLean County! "Lisa has been a large contributor to the success of the Midwest Garrison’s “Imperial Walkers” fundraising efforts. For 4 years she has been an Imperial Walker grand club member. Only Relay members who gather donations over $1,000 achieve grand club status. This year she raised $1,622.50 and also secured a good neighbor grant from State Farm for an additional $1,000 to be applied to the team. Not only does she raise money throughout the year for this event. She has also stepped up and attended team captain meetings throughout the year when I was unavailable." Team Captain, Jeremy Wilcox TK7503 A complete Mission Report of the event can be found HERE! We would also like to Congratulate DestinyFroste ,TK-6216 for being nominated for her service to the Empire as well! |
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| Wizard World Chicago Comic Con 8/8-8/11 | |
| By jweger77 on Aug 5, 2013 at 1:54 PM. | |
 Join the Midwest Garrison and the 501st Legion this weekend, August 8th to the 11th, for another fantastic show at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL... CHICAGO COMIC CON 2013! This year's convention promises to be one for the record books... Not only will the Midwest Garrison be conducting a Droid Hunt (Thu, Fri, and Sat) --with fantastic prizes from DK Publishing, Hasbro, Del Rey Publishing, Top Trumps, Legoland, Star Wars Celebration, and more-- the Fighting 501st will also be teaming up with the Rebel scum of Nar Shaddaa Base to "Blast-A-Trooper!" to benefit LaSalle County's Xmas for Kids Program! Blast-A-Trooper will take place Thu-Sun! While you're there, be sure to stop in at the "Meet the 501st Legion" panel discussion at 1 PM in Room 34 or 41 (Check con schedule on Friday for final location!), too... You might learn a few new things about these "Bad Guys who do Good!" Be sure to stay tuned to our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/midwestgarrison for updated info on our activities, info on giveaways, and more! Come by and see us at Booth CC55! For help navigating the floor, visit the interactive floor map at http://www.expocad.com/host/fx/wizardworld/ww13chicago/default.html For more information on everything that's happening at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con: http://www.wizardworld.com/home-ch.html 
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