The Great Lakes Base and Ohio Garrison attended a kids with Muscular Dystrophy. The camp was sponsored by Muscular Dystrophy Assoication of Central Ohio and was held at Recreation Unlimited Farm and Fun. This year's camp was "space" themed... what is more space than STAR WARS? Our mission was to interact with the kids while they waited in line for their planned activities including: fire truck and motorcycle sidecar rides. The moment our guys walked outside, they were an immediate hit with the kids; which is what makes what we do worth it! Several of us joined in for some of the events, including taking a ride on a fire truck with the kids: imagine an old time fire truck with the open truck bed, filled with kids along with Luke Skywalker, a TIE Pilot, an Imperial Officer and a Stormtrooper standing on the ramp holding on. Sheikahchica (ANH Leia) and was a hit amongst the girls, and got the chance to team up with her "brother" BrianKenobi in matching Luke costume. These kids knew all the characters, including one kid who's favorite being something you wouldn't expect.

As a member of the 501st (pause for the fainting) NOT wearing some form of white armor, I can tell you from experience that unless you are Darth Vader... it's not easy being one of the Imperial "men in black." TIE pilots and Death Star Troopers often get mistaken for Darth Vader by the general public, so meeting someone whose favorite is a TIE pilot is a rare moment to enjoy. "I finally found someone whose favorite character is a TIE pilot," exclaimed Falcor (TI-8389 of Ohio Garrison) said upon meeting his #1 fan.

Elsewhere, if you looked up Bellevue, Ohio in the jedi archives (ie: 2000 census) you'll learn that Bellevue has a population of 8,193. I bring this up to make a larger point later on. Bellevue is also the hometown of GLB's very own Sheikahchica, so for once it was nice to bring the Rebel Legion and 501st to a small town where kids may never get a chance to meet their favorite STAR WARS characters. The Bellevue Public Library went all out with SW themed games and activities for the kids, including (my favorite) a "flight school" where kids could build their own paper "starfighters" to target TIE Fighters all the way up to a Death Star! Let's just say my little buddy Falcor was NOT a happy camper (but a good sport) in that room. According to the local (jedi) librarians, Saturday they are lucky to get 200 people to stop in, the STAR WARS event ended up pulling in 750 people!! (in a town with just under 8,200 people)

Bellevue Library "Mission Photos" via the GLB Facebook page

Meanwhile, our Great Lakes Base and Great Lakes Garrison took part in STAR WARS DAY at the Romeo District Library in Washington, MI. Representing the rebel cause was Lumpy (Chewbacca) joined by Vader and a small squad of troopers and reports are they very VERY busy! Jedi Archive records show this particular library event had 350 people come through IN AN HOUR!!!

Romeo District Library "Mission Report" photos * courtesy of Great Lakes Garrison Facebook page

Here's that point I was getting at earlier... Rule #32 in (Rebel)land: Enjoy the little things!

Back here in Ohio, the OG and GLB have established a yearly tradition with The Cleveland Clinic to visit kids in honor of the successful 501st Romanoff/Seemann kidney transplant done at The Cleveland Clinic a few years ago. After spending some time the main lobby posing for pictures with anyone passing through (we tend to draw a bit of a crowd) it was time to split up and head to various floors on the hospital to visit with kids not well enough to visit us in the lobby. This is one of the most rewarding experiences members of both Rebel Legion and 501st get to do volunteering our time.

During one of our stops, we had the pleasure to meet "Alexandra" a young girl from Texas who just happened to be a HUGE Star Wars fan. We talked about (what else) STAR WARS and learned that her favorite SW films were and stuff like that. We also learned that Alexandra doesn't own a single Star Wars T-shirt, and after talking with her parents...

**IMPERIAL JAMMING SIGNAL**
(just in case she's reading this)

As you can see... things are getting rather busy here in Great Lakes Base; so get out there and make a difference in a child's life... it's what we do!

Shadow 12 standing by!