Event Round Up, June
July 18th, 20176/3–CLES Spring Fair – Ellicott City
We arrived at the school around 11am and were led to a classroom which was relatively close to where we were to be stationed. We suited up and walked out to the blacktop where we had our backdrop set up. We then participated in a fundraiser for pictures in which folks bought tickets to take pictures with us. R2 was on-hand and, as expected, was a complete hit with the kids. We posed for dozens of pics before retiring back to our designated area to change.
Troopers:
Mike P – TB
Jesse P – TS
Rob – TK ESB
Gabby – (GA) ID
Bobby – (GA) SL
Bill – IS
Cheryl – ID
Squires:
Pat
6/3–Bowie Baysox Star Wars Night, Bowie
Great job everyone! Always one of our biggest events, this is our best OLG turn out for a single-day event in quite a while. The weather was nice enough to have some our folk out in kit for over seven hours!!! The Baysox treated us well again this year. They provided us a huge changing area, water, and food. The fans and staff were really glad to have us there. We help bring in one of their biggest crowds of the year!
Troopers:
Jesse Pollock
Phil Gastilo
Pat Vetrone – TK
Brian Vetter – TK
Charles Singer
Bob Metcalf – TI
Brit Hopper – ID
Stephen Bauchan – TK
Jess Wedlock – TK
Sam Slater – Maul
Thomas Windebank – TK
Tony Federici – Kylo
Joshua Spliedt – TD
Andrew Simansky – Clone
Larry Peterka – TD
Andy Youell – TB
Mike Perkins – TD
Kiera Perkins – TB (GA)
Charlie Mann – TI
Matthew Ely – Arc Trooper Echo
Matthew Morley – TK
Emily Schram – Rex
Nick Dinko – TK (GA)
Kevin Belling – TK (GT)
Baron Holmes – TB
Squires:
Lucienda Metcalf
Robert Boyce
Mat Huffman
Andrea Taylor
Lisa Dinko
Dan Dinko
6/4–DC Walk Strong to Cure JM, Gaithersburg
We arrived and had to change in our cars or parking garage. We found the event organizers and were warmly greeted. Several younglings were eager for photos and to discuss our costumes. Walkers cheered as they started the short course; we were given bubble-blowers to pass out to walkers as they returned from the course. There were plenty of pictures, high-fives, and hugs to go around. We were invited to lead everyone in a Twist dance, and were joined by a huge number of the walkers (nothing better than to see Star Wars characters dancing the Twist). A service-dog training group brought their puppies over to us to help acclimate the pups to different situations (hey, if the pup can handle servants of the Emporer, it’ll likely be ready for any situation!) – not sure if there were more tail wags from the pups or the Twist dancing. The event organizers wanted us to stay longer, but many of us were scheduled to be at our next troop.
Troopers:
Bill – IS
Cheryl – ID
Jess – TK
Joe – TK
6/4 – 5th HoCo STEM Festival
Parking was indeed available in the adjacent lot, and they had assistants help unload bins from the car. Once inside, there was some confusion as to what room we were to use to change – we kept being sent to the room with the snacks. We found the right room and were all suited up by 1pm; we were joined by a small clan of Mandos and some Rebels. We started walking around and mingling with the crowd for photos. The staff kept asking us to move to different locations and to try and direct traffic to a hallway with more STEM exhibits (but with only a handwritten sign giving conference-goers any indication that they were down that hall). At one point, we were asked to leave the hallway, as a youngling was overcome with fear of our costumes. After being given the go-ahead, we returned and again mingled in the crowd for pictures. We found a spot near the sign to additional events, so we were successful in drawing attention to that hallway as well as providing photo ops. Around 3pm, those of us who had trooped in the morning took our leave; the Melissa & William showed true Imperial dedication and stuck around ’til the end.
Troopers:
Bill – IS
Cheryl – ID
Jess – TK
Melissa – ID
William – TK
6/10–DC Pride Parade
We arrived at Fantom Comics, who had graciously agreed to let us use their store for changing and bin storage. We were excited to get started, so headed down to our load-in area at 16:00 for an anticipated 16:45 start time. The mood while we waited was jubilant, as everyone got ready and psyched up for the parade. Unbeknownst to us, a group called No Justice, No Pride was staging several disruptions of the parade in protest to several grievances against Capital Pride. As a result, we got started later than expected and didn’t leave the load-in area until around 18:00. When we finally hit the parade route, we were greeted by a massive and ecstatic crowd. Unfortunately, the police presence was sparse due to officers being redeployed to deal with the protests, and we had a few incidents with spectators who made it onto the parade to bother us. The parade was stop and start and the route that was scheduled to take 37 minutes to complete took us over an hour and a half, with the heat becoming increasingly difficult to bear. Bill had to hop into our support vehicle around the halfway mark. Just before the judges’ stand, the protesters managed a full blockade of the parade route. While we were stuck in an area of direct sunlight and ran out of water. One of our Mandalorian friends succumbed to the heat and nearly passed out, while another was injured in the shuffle to deal with the first. We had to leave the parade route just as the police had arranged to re-route the parade around the protesters. The two Mandos were taken to the hospital, one with heat stroke, and one with minor injuries. The rest of us headed back to Fantom to de-kit around 20:00. Despite the disappointing ending, the parade itself was inspiring and exhilarating. Should we troop this event in the future, it would be prudent to have both water and Gatorade, as well as better strategies for heat management (cool packs, leaving more space in the support vehicle, etc).
Troopers:
Emily – Rex
Jess – TK
Melissa – ID
William – TK
Squires:
Nishaad
Ry
Robert
6/11–Oliver’s 5th Birthday Party, Catonsville
We arrived around 1:30pm and were met by Ryan. The kids were playing in the front yard in the pool, so Ryan led us out back and into his basement to change. It was quite warm outside and the air conditioning was on in the basement, so it felt great inside. We proceeded to get kitted up, and Ryan led us out front where we were met with smiles and cheers from the kids. We posed for pictures with the littles and bigs before taking a larger group shot. We also answered a bunch of questions about our armor, etc. We then advised the kids that we had to make our way back to the Death Star, so we said our goodbyes, gave high 5’s and hugs, and walked back in to change. We were provided with refreshments, which hit the spot in the oppressive humidity.
Troopers:
Andy – TB
Charlie – TI
Jesse – TS
Squire:
Ryan
6/15–Library of Congress, DC
Joined by Chewbacca & Belle, we all arrived by 2 and were suited up by about 2:30 or so. The Library staff provided us with an actual dressing room which is often used by their music department; it was positively luxurious! We paraded through the recently opened comics exhibit and took pictures in front of a backdrop they had set up. Next, we made our way to the Young Reader’s Center where a discussion of cosplay was already under way. They had lots of crafts and costumes for the kids to try out, and we were set up in a smaller room with a different backdrop for pictures. As the room got more crowded, we took turns wandering out into the hall and adjoining rooms. Lots of families came through, as LoC well as staff. The latter included the Librarian of Congress herself, Dr. Carla Hayden, who was extremely unassuming and joined in the general excitement over our presence. After a while, we were taken out to the main entry hall, much to the surprise and delight of the mid-day crowd there. We danced a bit and took plenty of pictures before heading back to the YRC to finish the event. The LoC staff was wonderfully accommodating and is eager to have us back for future events. Total Troop time: 2 hours
Troopers:
Charlie – TI
Chris – TR
Ryan – CDZ
Jason – R2
6/16-18–AwesomeCon, DC
So the setup crew arrived on Friday between 0700 – 1130 and got the booth set up. After that Matt Morley headed up to the exhibit entrance to stand watch for wayward Troopers. There were communication issues between the showrunners and some of the security, but for the most part it worked out well and will be a good method to follow up on next year. This was a very successful year for Old Line Garrison at Awesome Con. We want to once again thank each and every one of the troopers that attend and helped out at the booth, especially all of our brothers and sisters from Garrison Tyrannus that joined the effort. As always, without each and every one of you, from both Garrisons, putting in the long hours and hard work we would not be able to do what we do there.
The final totals for this weekend are as follows:
Make-a-Wish/501st Endowment Fund: $262.75
Travis Manion Foundation: $1928.75
Friday Troopers:
Allen Shepherd
Brian Vetter
Charlie Mann
Emily Schram
Eric Grubb
Jess Wedlock
Kelly Markert
Matt Morley
Melissa Ralph
Warren Markert
William Ralph
Matthew Leech (GT)
Bria LaVorgna (GT)
Scott Huls (GT)
Dieter Jobe (GT)
Alex Thompson (GT)
Clayton Kratz (GT)
Raul Rosado (GT)
Chris Porta (GT)
BJ Browne (GT)
Jim F (GT)
Trish F (GT)
Sean Antill (GT)
Lance Antill (GT)
Nishaad Knights (Squire)
Corey DiPietro (Squire)
Saturday Troopers
Allen Shepherd
Bob Metcalf
Charlie Mann
Emily Schram
Jacob Stottlemyer
Jay Jorgensen
Jeff Ryan
Jesse Pollock
Jess Wedlock
Kelly Markert
Lue Metcalf
Matt Morley
Melissa Ralph
Phil Gastilo
Tynan Loughran
Virgil Bauer
Warren Markert
William Ralph
Scott Stevens (GT)
Chris Williams (GT)
Corey DiPietro (GT)
Matthew Leech (GT)
Bria LaVorgna (GT)
Scott Huls (GT)
Steph Loughran (GT)
Dieter Jobe (GT)
Alex Thompson (GT)
Sean Illg (GT)
Clayton Kratz (GT)
Norman Laythe (GT)
Jarred Ellis (GT)
Trish F (GT)
Jim F (GT)
Sean Antill (GT)
Lance Antill (GT)
Raul Rosado (GT)
Brian Robinson (GT)
Kevin Belling (GT)
Vicky Boardman (GT)
Kris Shelton (GT)
Joel Webne (GT)
Kami Lamb (Squire)
Sunday Troopers
Allen Shepherd
Bill Thomas
Brian Jones
Cheryl Thomas
Emily Schram
Jesse Pollock
Kelly Markert
Matt Ely
Matt Morley
Melissa Ralph
Warren Markert
William Ralph
Scott Stevens (GT)
Chris Williams (GT)
Matthew Leech (GT)
Bria LaVorgna (GT)
Scott Huls (GT)
Alex Thomspson (GT)
Sean Illg (GT)
Kevin Belling (GT)
Steven Manuel (GT)
Jim F (GT)
Trish F (GT)
Nishaad Knights (Squire)
6/17–AwesomeCon Wedding, DC
Jess met with the bride, groom, and officiant the night before to receive our orders. We all arrived by 1:15 and did a quick rehearsal, then hung out in front of the room and posed for photos while we waited for our cue. When it was time to begin, the Imperial March played and we led the procession with the officiant, who was dressed as Darth Vader. Brian and Melissa peeled off to guard the aisle while Jess and Bill stood at the front on either side of the officiant. The wedding party processed in, all dressed as characters from the Marvel or DC Universe. The flower girl was dressed as X-23 and took her part very seriously. She tossed torn up flowers from a Pringles tin and stomped on them menacingly. Finally, the bride entered in a dazzling Wonder Woman-themed gown escorted by her parents, who were dressed as Zeus and Hippolyta. The officiant began with the “Mawage” speech from the Princess Bride and then asked the couple to read their vows. The groom had to take his Deadpool mask off to make it through his, and the whole event was so touching that even the Admiral got teary-eyed. Finally, the couple exchanged Super Mario Star rings, which symbolized the invincibility of their love. We all recessed, posed for pictures, and headed back to the changing room.
Troopers:
Brian – TK
Jess – TK
Melissa – ID
William – TK
6/17–Sekhsaria Wedding Reception, National Harbor
Wow! This was one big wedding reception! The picked us from AwesomeCon in two Ubers at 6pm. They had about 700 guests for this Star Wars / Harry Potter themed party. We started by taking pictures in the National Harbor Atrium, which they reserved for the appetizers. They had an ice sculpture of the Millennium Falcon, which they poured drinks through! Everyone then moved to the ballroom, where parts of the family were introduced with their own theme music as they danced in. We were able to escort the couple in for their first Imperial March. He came in with a lightsaber, and she had a wand. After they arrived on the dance floor, we danced with them to Back Street Boys. We left the room while they cut the cake and did a few other activities. We were then able to change and join the party for a huge Indian buffet. The food was great! We finally headed out around midnight.
Troopers:
Jess – TK
Matt – TK
Melissa – ID
William – TK
6/21–Outdoor Pops Concert, Columbia
This was a fun concert! After dropping off our boxes and parking, we suited up. We started trooping around 6:30pm. Luckily the temperature started to drop and a breeze was going the whole time. It threatened to rain, but held off. We took a lot of pictures with everyone. When they played three Star Wars songs, we marched up and stood in front of the stage. One little fan came up to join us and held Bob’s hand through one of the songs. After that, we went back for more photos. We finally changed at 8:30pm and headed out. They seemed really glad to have us there. As always, we appreciated the back up from our friendly neighborhood Mandos!
Troopers:
Rob – TK
Bobby – Kylo (GA)
Gabby – ID (GA)
Kellie – DZ
Bob – TI
Matt – TI/IC
Squires:
Patrick
6/22-24–NSO Pops – The Music of John Williams, DC
Thursday (6/22):
Troopers arrived between 5 and 6pm and were suited up soon after. We were asked to mingle around the area outside the Concert Hall for pictures and ended up just mostly remaining stationary so people could come up to us for a picture. The Kennedy Center gave us complimentary tickets, and we were able to watch most of the show. (Act II is the Star Wars part.) They also asked if we would mind being available for pictures during Intermission, which was something we were all able to make happen thanks to no full-armor costumes. The crowds were definitely thrilled to see us, and we got nothing but smiles and glee from everyone who wanted a picture.
Troopers:
Bria (GT) (Officer)
Clayton (GT) (Crewman)
Kate (GC) (Jawa)
Nick (GC) (TIE Pilot)
Josh (GC) (Tie Reserve)
Carly (RL) (Pilot)
Deb (RL) (Mon Mothma)
Friday (6/23):
Troopers started to trickle in to the green room and around 6pm, and we got suited up. We spent the next hour with a line of people to take photographs, eventually moving to the front of a stage in the lobby. When the show began, we went back to the green room to relax but got resuited to resume photos during intermission, at the request of the Kennedy Center, but mostly the conductor. After the intermission, we quickly got unsuited and to our seats to hear the rest of the Star Wars music. It was magical.
Old Line Garrison:
Bill – TK
Emily – Rex
Melissa – TIE Pilot
Jason – R2
Other Garrisons:
Ben – TFA TK
Bria – Officer
Cameron – TK
Clayton – Crewman
Kate – Visas Marr
Nick – Barron Fel
Nick – Tank Trooper
Rebel Legion:
Carly – Pilot
Phil – Jedi
Squires:
Anna
Chris
Nishaad
Saturday (6/24):
Everyone arrived with plenty of time to suit up and introduce themselves to members of the other groups they didn’t know. There was a case of water bottles waiting for us; OLG provided chocolate truffles and parking passes for everyone. About 6:45, Warren Williams came in, greeted us, and explained the procedures for the night. We mostly congregated outside the stage entrance and posed for pictures before the show – the concert-goers were first a bit timid, but once a child (at heart) ran up for a photo, many more joined in. The 501st’s Imperial Officer Corp had a large representation tonight, allowing them to go in and enjoy the concert in the hall; those in armor or bulky costumes returned to the Green Room to change and/or enjoy listening to the concert (which was on the other side of the door). We returned for more photo-ops during intermission, this time circulating among the crowd too. Some of us walked down to the Opera House side of the floor (there was really no delineation), where people who were also at intermission from the Sound of Music enjoyed a few photo ops as well.
Old Line Garrison:
Bill – TI
Kellie – DZ: Jawa
Phil – ID
Garrison Tyranus:
Brian – TK
Billie – ID
Dale – ID
Anne – ID
Rebel Legion:
Carolyn- Leia
Lori – Ackbar
Deb – Mon Mothma
Matt – Pilot
Squires:
Cheryl
Ben
6/24–Justin’s 10th Birthday, Essex
This was a wonderful troop at a lovely park. However, the park was full of local indigenous creatures that needed to be cleared from the landing zone. Rob was working with our Garrison Membership Liaison Officer to finalize and get approved his Biker Scout outfit just in time for this event. After the birthday boy arrived, the Empire took control of the festivities. Justin was awestruck by the might and power of the Empire and was moved to tears. After overcoming the initial shock, many photos were taken with the children and adults. The Empire also posed for photos with the many other citizens enjoying a Saturday in the park. The troops then changed into civilian clothing and lots of burgers, pizza, and cupcakes were consumed.
Troopers:
Charlie – TI
Jesse – TS
Rob – TB
Mat – Anakin Skywalker (pre-burn)
