Garrison News
| WALK NOW FOR AUTISM SPEAKS | |
| By Remo on May 9, 2012 at 8:52 PM. | |
 This Saturday May 12th, the 501st Legion will be in attendance at the 2012 Chicago Walk Now for Autism Speaks at Soldier Field. Walk Now for Autism Speaks is a fun-filled, family friendly event and is Autism Speaks' single most powerful force to fund vital research that will lead us all to the answers we need. Experience the power of thousands united by a single cause by joining Walk Now for Autism Speaks. Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disorder in the U.S., and one of the least funded. But the Midwest Garrison is ready to join the fight! Although the MWG has participated in the opening ceremonies of the Chicago Walk Now event for several years, this is the first time that we have formed a team to raise funds directly. You can donate to our efforts through the link on this page: http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/f ... 014067&cj= Donations large and small all help the effort! You can find out more about the event and about autism here: http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/f ... ent=993815 Hope to see you there! 
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| MWG March Trooper of the Month-Kristen Avera | |
| By Remo on May 3, 2012 at 7:09 AM. | |
We would like to congratulate Kristen Avara aka SkyPanda (TI 7844) as the March Trooper of the Month!!! Since becoming official in January, Kristen has taken the lead or helped setting up 3 events (in March alone). She has helped raise over $500.00 for St. Baldricks in O’Fallon Illinois. Kristen has also helped recruit another person to join the MWG, awaiting on costume and approval. She loves doing what she does, is great with the public, taking pictures, helping other members with costumes or where ever she is needed. Not bad for someone who had her first troop in the end of January. 3/02/12 11yr B-day Bash: O’Fallon, MO (Helped coordinate with another member) 3/03/12 Cub Scout Pine Wood Derby: Maryville, IL (Helped get troopers for the event) 3/31/12 St Baldricks: O'Fallon, IL (Coordinated on her own and raised money for event and communicated well to have a great turn out of troopers) We also want to thank her and Scott Holder aka Firebat for their recent hospital visit. “My brother is a science teacher at Pontiac Jr. High School in Fairview Heights, IL. Last week one of his 8th grade students was diagnosed with leukemia and was started on chemotherapy. I decided it would be a good idea to pay him a visit in our armor after discussing his condition with his parents. Scott and I arrived at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital about 9:45 am, got dressed partially in the rain, and arrived at Christian's room at 10am. He was VERY surprised and happy to see us. We had some MWG stickers and some other swag, along with a $25 visa card for him (the teachers at Pontiac got him a Kindle Fire, so he said he was going to use the gift card we gave him for some Star Wars books). We didn't stay long (probably only about 30 minutes) because he was working on homework and had surgery later that day, but it was posted in his online journal that he was really glad we came over to see him. We did this troop last minute and neither Scott nor I had ever been to Cardinal Glennon, so we kept it a small troop for convenience.” Kristen Avara (Skypanda) TI-7844 Scott Holder (Firebat) TI-373 |
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| Trooper Spotlight on TI-3853 Jim DeJan | |
| By Remo on Apr 19, 2012 at 7:07 PM. | |
This time the spotlight falls on the long time leader of the Jolly Roger Squadron Detachment, Jim DeJan aka TARG. Trooper Spotlight 1) How long have you been a part of the garrison, and what is it that sparked your interest in joining? Emily and I joined the Legion in 2002-2003. We were costuming as Klingons and met several of our friends at Flashback Weekend and decided after seeing the detail they put into their costumes that we wanted to be a part of that. Also the charitable aspect of the Legion was an attraction for us. 2) Of all of the MANY troops that you have done, what would you say is the one that stands out in your mind in meaning the most to you and why? At many of the events we would do temporary tattoos for the younglings in attendance. The joy on their little faces when approached by Lord Vader or a Stormtrooper is precious. Good memories are good to stockpile. 3) How has being a part of the MWG impacted your life? Being a part of the Midwest Garrison and the Legion as a whole has been the majority of our social life since we joined. We have enjoyed seeing our young members grow and mature into outstanding adults. I am very proud of all our membership and prouder still of the friendships we have gained during our years here. 4) Outside of trooping and 501st related stuff, what do you do for a living, and what are some other interests or hobbies that you have? Due to medical issues both Emily and I are both on disability. After 30 years of working insurance and cellular retail it’s been difficult but trooping is a great way to take your minds off of things. 5) You are also the Detachment Leader for the Jolly Roger Squadron. What exactly does that entail? This will be my 7th and last year as Detachment Leader for the Jolly Roger Squadron Imperial Pilot Detachment. I'm very proud of what we have accomplished with the restart of the Detachment. We have gone from a thread on a non-legion group after the demise of its Yahoo Group to a full website and extremely active, 1000+ member Detachment. I feel we have laid the ground work for the Detachments future and continued growth. 6) And lastly, is there anything, Star Wars related or not, that people might not know about you that they might be surprised to find out? I've always wanted to write. I'm not sure it will happen but I may take a stab at it. Thanks for sharing Jim. TI-1659 |
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| The Midwest Garrison's Imperial Academy debuts at C2E2 | |
| By Fleetfang on Apr 18, 2012 at 7:49 AM. | |
Duty! Honor! Empire! Captain Rex leads Imperial cadets in a charge to the finish during the final stage of their training! This past weekend, children at C2E2, the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, had the chance to put on a helmet, take up a blaster, and enlist in The Imperial Academy! They joined members of the 501st Legion in this interactive experience that cast kids in the role of stormtrooper cadets and members of the MWG as their drill sergeants for an abbreviated crash course of Imperial boot camp! New recruits were trained in proper blaster safety techniques, stormtrooper marksmanship, and explosives deployment. They then had to dive into a trash compactor to recover the stolen Death Star plans, navigate an obstacle course, and engage in a laser shoot-out to the finish! When their training was complete, each cadet was given a diploma signifying them as an official Honorary Imperial Cadet, with all of the honors and responsibilities that go with the title! This was the first time that the Midwest Garrison has ever undertaken an activity of this scope, and the response from the public was overwhelming! Donations were collected to benefit Autism Speaks, and the totals will be added to the Midwest Garrison's team for the upcoming Walk Now for Autism Speaks event at Soldier Field. If you'd like to make a donation to help the cause, you can do so here! http://tinyurl.com/749slmv and for more information on Autism, visit http://www.autismspeaks.org/ If you missed your chance to train as an Imperial Stormtrooper at C2E2 (or if you'd like to test your skills again!), the Midwest Garrison will be training new cadets at the Joliet Public Library's Star Wars Day on June 2, 2012! It's going to be even bigger and better, so be sure to mark your calendar and join us there! For the Empire! |
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| Midnight Release of Star Wars Kinect | |
| By Remo on Apr 6, 2012 at 6:29 PM. | |
 Members of the Midwest Garrison appeared at the Microsoft Store in Oakbrook, IL to celebrate the release of a special edition X-Box 360. The new X-Box 360 and Star Wars Kinect game were played all throughout the store for the fans who could not wait till morning to pick theirs up. |
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| MWG February 2012 Trooper of the Month: TK-3446 | |
| By Remo on Mar 26, 2012 at 9:25 PM. | |
 The Midwest Garrison is proud to honor February’s Trooper of the Month (TOTM), TK-3446 Neil Auer! Neil was the event coordinator for the “Star Wars Days” at Legoland Schaumburg from 2/9/12-2/12/12. This was the fourth time the Midwest Garrison had taken part in this event. Besides coordinating plans with Legoland, he also trooped on all four days, making sure that everything was perfect. The weekend was a great time for both the 501st Legion and the many families who came out for the themed weekend! You can view the Mission Report here. http://midwestgarrison.com/forum/viewto ... 17&t=13160 |
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| Inducting a new Honorary Friend of the Legion | |
| By Remo on Mar 18, 2012 at 10:23 PM. | |
 Tonight, members of the 501st Legion and the Rebel Legion had the privilege to induct a wonderful young man as an Honorary Friend of the 501st Legion. Mitchell is a 10 year old boy whose love of Star Wars knows no end. A special wish of his, as he has been battling a life threatening disease, involves Star Wars. We had the honor to spend an evening with him and learned how bravely he has faced life. Just like many of the other troopers we spoke to said, this is why we do what we do; to try and bring a smile to children, and especially to those who need it the most. Mitchell’s strength against his adversity is truly inspiring and we are proud to call him one of us. For more information about this event check here viewtopic.php?f=17&t=13288 |
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| Trooper Spotlight on TI 7844, Kristen Avara | |
| By Remo on Mar 10, 2012 at 8:20 PM. | |
This Trooper Spotlight we meet one of the newest members of the Midwest Garrison, Kristen Avara; TI 7844 from O'Fallon, Illinois. Trooper Spotlight 1) How long have you been a part of the garrison, and what is it that sparked your interest in joining? I have been a member of the MWG since January 2012. Firebat (Scott) and I work together at the hospital and are good friends. One day he started talking about this "501st stuff" that he did a long time ago. Since I'm a Star Wars nerd, he convinced me how cool it would be to troop together. Then he pitched me the Chicago "field trips" (I have friends from ISU that live in Chicago and we usually at least eat with them when we troop up there) and helping kids fight cancer...and I was sold. 2) Of all of the troops that you have done, what would you say is the one that stands out in your mind in meaning the most to you and why? I have done 6 troops so far. The one that stands out the most in my mind was the (WWE Superstar) Sheamus signing at Slackers in Fairview Heights, IL. We had a lady come up to us and thank us for taking donations for Make-A-Wish because her son was part of the Make-A-Wish foundation. It gave me goose bumps and still gives me goose bumps thinking about it. It was really cool. I'm looking forward to a lot more meaningful troops. 3) How has being a part of the MWG impacted your life? It has helped me to not have a life anymore. LOL. If I'm not working, sleeping, watching movies, or playing Rock Band, I'm planning for a MWG event or working on costumes with Firebat. 4) Outside of trooping and 501st related stuff, what do you do for a living, and what are some other interests or hobbies that you have? I'm a RN. I work with Firebat on a Telemetry floor (cardiac) at Belleville Memorial Hospital. I like watching movies, playing Rock Band, and just being goofy in general. 5) Can you give us an idea as to the kind of support you get from friends and family regarding the 501st and all the great things that you have done for the garrison? All of my coworkers think Firebat and I are NERDS. We will actually sit at work with our planners and work schedule and the MWG forums up and plan which events we can attend. LOL. Firebat's wife fully supports me doing this because that means she doesn't have to go to the events (she's not quite as much as an enthusiast as we are). My biological family thinks I'm nuts, but are glad that I'm happy. Most other people think it's pretty great. 6) And lastly, is there anything, Star Wars related or not, that people might not know about you that they might be surprised to find out? Uh...no. I'm a pretty open book and it doesn't take much to figure me out. I'm generally a happy person (despite what Firebat might tell you) and I love champagne. Anything else you need/want to know, just ask! Thank you for sharing with us today, Kristen. -TI 1659 |
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| MWG January 2012 Trooper of the Month: TD-8310 | |
| By Fleetfang on Mar 2, 2012 at 11:15 AM. | |
The Midwest Garrison honors Robert Hamilton as our Trooper of the Month for January 2012! In what was a light month of trooping, Rob continued an initiative that he started with the Midwest Garrison's Facebook Fan Page, the "Image of the Day," posting funny or insightful photos of the Legion in action. This has helped to drive new people to "Like" our organization, expanding our reach on the most popular social networking site in the world. Rob took up that initiative on his own last October. Since then, he has posted dozens of photos there, including his 100th image in January, and the garrison's Facebook account has seen a steady growth ever since. While some people might think that posting a picture every day is something simple, finding original and unique pictures to post and coming up with humorous captions is not something that just happens. We all troop whenever we can, but Rob has supported the social networking aspect of the Garrison almost literally every day for the last four months. It may be a small thing, but the small things add up to a real impact over time. The garrison recognizes the real value in your efforts, Rob! Congratulations! |
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| The Midwest Garrison Troops The Phantom Menace | ||
| By Fleetfang on Feb 19, 2012 at 8:27 PM. | ||
 Members of the MWG, Wisconsin Garrison, and the Rebel Legion pose at the Loews AMC at the Streets of Woodfield in Schaumburg, IL On February 10th, 2012, almost thirteen years after its original release, Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace returned to theaters, launching the Star Wars saga into the third dimension, and the soldiers of the Midwest Garrison were there to celebrate! Over the course of the film's weekend release, the MWG trooped at no less than five theaters across the state of Illinois, in O'Fallon, Peoria, Savoy, Schaumburg, and South Barrington. The South Barrington AMC theater's celebration was one of only ten events across the country sponsored by Lucasfilm, and included Darth Maul face painting, exclusive give-aways, chances to demo the new Star Wars video game on Xbox Kinect, and more!  One of these things is not like the other... Trooping these events (and returning as the star attractions at the Schaumburg Legoland's semi-annual Star Wars Days on the same weekend!) took its toll on our troopers, but we received the letter below, which served as a fantastic reminder of why we do what we do... Quote:
UPCOMING EVENTS: 3/4/12: Bowl for Kids Sake (Champaign, IL) 3/10/12: Walk For Wishes (Fairview Heights, IL) 3/18/12: Chicago Express Hockey Game (Hoffman Estates, IL) 3/24/12: Walkerfest (Evanston, IL) Find more on our Events Calendar! |
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