By: Tristan Moriuchi (TK-9285)
The Dune Sea Garrison was privileged to work with Lucasfilm, Ltd., Cartoon Network, and the R2 Builder’s Club to bring the Star Wars universe to Phoenix’s 2009 NBA All-Star Jam Session. Members were invited to pose for pictures and help to promote Cartoon Network’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series so that a new generation of fans may discover the magic and inspiration of the Star Wars universe.
Members of the DSG did a great job of representing the 501st Legion with high caliber costumes and stunning personalities in armor. Coverage included a photo area, as well as providing security around the booth area. A number of Troopers were also invited to attend the Celebrity Dunk Contest for additional security measures. A number of people made it out for multiple shifts and kept going despite exhaustion and dehydration. Ian Hetzel managed to make it out to every event while other members like Will Rogers, Dustin Dial, Mike Culp, and Jeff Gilliam drove for at least 2 hours to keep the numbers up. All participants of this event should be congratulated as this singular event has raised $2,800 towards the Children’s Miracle Network. Thank you all for your support and hard work. This week has truly been a pleasure and there will hopefully be many more like it to come.
As the series played in the background fans were able to grab pictures with R2-D2, Stormtroopers, and Clone Troopers. Other activities included jump basketball shots, trialof the new game computer game Fusion Fall, and even Jedi Training with a visiting 501st Legion member, Shawn “Obi-Shawn” Crosby, (from Los Angeles, California) who taught classes on a broken ankle! His dedication is truly admirable. Another noted accomplishment is from Tiny Panganiban and Dave Littleton, their R2 units and dedication to the event was nothing short of amazing, especially their perfect attendance. Also, up and coming R2 Builder Jeff should be mentioned as he managed to fill in for the builders when they needed a breather. It is no surprise that they needed a break; this event lasted 6 days with shifts ranging from 4 hours late into the night to 12 hours all day! Also, Dan Glitch and his girlfriend Randi were extremely generous with their time and drove from Nevada to help fill the lack of Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker’s available to Arizona. Thanks from the DSG go out to all of you for the tremendous efforts.
For more awesome hightlights from this event, visit the following links:
PlanetOrange.net
Astromech.net
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