Bad guys on Star Wars do good with 501st Legion

When you see Party Pilipinas, you think of showbiz royalty and singing divas, not villains from another universe. But on Party Pilipinas' episode last July 11, Darth Vader and the stormtroopers escorted Marian Rivera, who was dressed as Princess Leia, and Dennis Trillo, who was dressed as an Imperial officer, on stage. How exactly did geeks invade noontime TV?

It all started when the show’s director, Mark Reyes, decided on a movie-themed show for Party Pilipinas. The show had to have Transformers, Dreamgirls, Titanic and Batman. But the movie showcase would not be complete without the greatest space opera of all time -- Star Wars. But where do you get stormtroopers? That’s where we came in. We’re the 501st Legion. The what? The 501st is an international organization of Star Wars fans, and our specialty is wearing the costumes of the villains from the Star Wars universe. Darth Vader, Palpatine, Boba Fett, you name it, we’ve got it. With over 4,700 members costuming in all seven continents (yes, even Antarctica), there’s bound to be a 501st garrison or outpost nearby, wherever in the world you are. Why 501st? Founder of the 501st Legion Albin Johnson explains the name's origins: "The real story behind the name "501st" is rather unremarkable. I wanted something that sounded military, had a big number, and ended in a "one" to give it a little authenticity." While characters like Aurra Sing and Count Dooku are to be found in our ranks, we’re better known for our armored members. Stormtroopers, scout troopers, sandtroopers, clones: if you want armor, we’ve got it. In fact, next to Vader, the stormtrooper is probably one of the most recognizable figures from the Star Wars universe. And we have over 2,000 of them. Standard Operating Procedures Joining the Legion isn’t easy. Anyone who wants to be a member must own and wear a movie-accurate, high-quality costume. Whether you want to look like the sandtrooper who stopped Obi-Wan and Luke at Mos Eisley, or you’re going for the look of bounty hunter Bossk, your costume (and prosthetics or make-up, as the case may be) needs to absolutely look like what you saw in the movie. When you send in your application, a membership officer will look at the photos of your costume and make sure it meets the Legion’s costume standards. For each type of costume, be it armor, cloth or make-up, the Legion has requirements that each member must follow. So if you want to have a Prince Xizor costume, make sure your face paint is the right shade of green. The same standards apply to props too: what’s a trooper without the right blaster, or Jango Fett without his jet pack? Your look has to be complete, or you don’t get in. Bad guys do good It’s not a cheap hobby. Any casual fan will know that Star Wars toys—especially high-end collectibles from the likes of Sideshow and Kotobukiya—are not cheap. So if statues that are 1:6 scale cost so much, can you imagine the cost of a full-scale costume designed to be wearable and durable? Unlike other expensive hobbies, however, this one has a spectacular return on investment. No, we don’t make money with our costumes; instead, we raise money for charity. Anybody who requests an appearance by the 501st is asked to make a donation to a charitable organization, preferably one dedicated to children’s causes. To date, the 501st has raised over US$1 million in donations. These donations have gone to groups such as Make-A-Wish Foundation, Toys for Tots, research funding for various children’s diseases, hospital drives, schools, food drives and so many more. With the blessing of The Maker It is this dedication to accuracy, the orderly chain of command, and the devotion to fundraising that has caught the attention of George Lucas, writer and director of the Star Wars movies. Affectionately nicknamed “the Maker" by fans, Lucas has been appreciative of the Legion’s efforts to promote Star Wars all over the world. It was in 2005, when Lucas was promoting “Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith" all over the world, that he saw the 501st greeting him wherever he met. Anthony Daniels, the British actor who played the golden droid C-3PO in all six movies, made a similar observation. At Celebration Japan in 2008, he related, “I arrived in Scandinavia, and my flight landed in the middle of the night. I stepped out of the plane onto the tarmac, and there on the runway, waiting to greet me, were members of the 501st, in full costume, in the freezing cold. Amazing!" With George himself and the other cast members so fond of the Legion, it’s no wonder that 501st.com proclaims, “While it is not sponsored by Lucasfilm Ltd., it is Lucasfilm's preferred Imperial costuming group." If anyone approaches Lucasfilm about doing anything Star Wars-related, they’ll be the first to tell you, “Talk to the 501st, they know what they’re doing." Legion Headquarters in Manila We weren’t kidding when we said we had members in all seven continents. In Asia alone, there are outposts and garrisons in Japan, Malaysia-Brunei, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, and of course, the Philippines. The Philippine Outpost was founded in 2004, and our first members were two biker scouts who made an appearance at a Halloween party in Hard Rock Café. Now we have 19 members whose costumes include clones, a sandtrooper, Imperial officers, stormtroopers, Darth Vader, Jango Fett, and a TIE pilot. We don’t just sit around polishing our helmets either. Our members have reported for duty with Warner Bros. Philippines to promote "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" animated series at malls and movie premieres. In 2005, we helped the local licensees promote Episode 3. And of course, there are TV appearances, like Party Pilipinas. Troopers make Pinoys proud Our troopers have made waves abroad too. We’ve attended Star Wars events in Taiwan, and the official Star Wars conventions in the US: our members trooped all the way to Indianapolis for Celebration III in 2005 and Los Angeles for Celebration IV in 2007. We went to Tokyo for Celebration Japan in 2008, and some of our guys will be in Florida for Celebration V next month. But one of the international events we’re most proud of is the 2007 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. After the impressive display of troopers for the promotion of Episode 3, George Lucas wanted to thank the 501st for all their help. In 2006, he decided that he wanted a Star Wars float in the Rose Parade, and he wanted to have hundreds of stormtroopers escorting it. After a year of planning, audition videos, and a week of training, 200 troopers from 41 countries accompanied two Star Wars floats on New Year’s Day of 2007. Two of those troopers came from the Philippine Outpost. It was one of the best trooping events ever, and it was all thanks to the Maker. Helping our fellow Pinoys But what warms our heart the most is donning our costumes to help others. Every year our troopers make a pilgrimage to the PGH charity ward, where pediatric cancer patients are treated to costumed capers, gifts and games. During last year’s Ondoy tragedy, the Philippine Outpost raised over P100,000 in donations to help affected families. We were able to donate medicine, food, clothes, and emergency supplies to communities in Marikina and Bulacan. With the help of Big Brother Big Sister, we were able to raise funds for school supplies and textbooks for the Eastern Star Academy of San Mateo, Rizal. We were on air for less than 15 minutes on Party Pilipinas, but those precious few minutes resulted in a donation of Php20,000 to GMA Kapuso Foundation. We’ve also raised funds for Kythe, Caritas Manila, Autism Society Philippines, Project Brave Kids, and other charitable institutions. And as long as we have our helmets, we’ll be passing them around to help anyone in need. - GMANews.TV To contact the Philippine Outpost, visit pinoy501st.com. To contact the international 501st Legion, visit 501st.com.