Cancer is a serious subject. Raising money to help fight cancer is a serious subject. But with the help of Star Wars, it can be fun.

Saturday night, the Arizona contingent of Mountain Base of the Rebel Legion participated in a Relay for Life event for the American Cancer Society. The Dune Sea Garrison of the 501st had a team, and graciously allowed us to move into their campsite for four hours to help support the effort and raise some money.

Ben Kenobi, Visas Marr, five Jedi (one with spiky hair), two Leias, a Rebel Fleet Trooper and a Tusken Raider hung out and hobnobbed with Darth Vader, Darth Nihilus, Boba Fett, a Clone Commander with a BIG blaster, an Imperial Commander and several stormtroopers.

There were some solemn moments during the various ceremonies, and seeing the stormtroopers remove their helmets during one of the memorials was touching. As Jedi, we bowed our heads in respectful silence.

But the overall theme of "movie night" was FUN! Walking laps in costume, cheering on the walkers, browsing the various raffles and fundraising sales... and holding our own raffle to raise money which had the added bonus of making people, especially some eager kids, very happy.

My thanks go out to all my friends of the PLB, the Spew Crew and the GHG for their generous donation of prizes allowing us to have 25 lucky winners! And cash raised for the American Cancer Society at no cost to them.

My highlight of the night was walking backwards to the relay walkers with a handful of raffle tickets, in my full Jedi costume, hitting up those who were working their own booths. At one point I was walking straight into Darth Vader and a group of stormtroopers! A boy of about ten ran up to me and said, "Look out, Darth Vader's coming!"

"I ain't afraid of Darth Vader!" I told him loudly, and as he passed we exchanged high fives, and so did the stormies.

It was a little too hot and I sunburned my ear in the hour before the sun went down, but over all it was a happy and successful evening!