Ottawa, ON – The 501st Legion is an international fan-based organization dedicated to the construction and wearing of screen-accurate replicas of Imperial Stormtrooper armour, Sith Lords, Clone Troopers, bounty hunters, and other villains from the Star Wars universe.
The 501st Legion was formed by Albin Johnson and Tom Crews in 1997, the Legion now has over 6,500 active members worldwide, with nearly 11,000 approved costumes among them. The Legion is active on 5 continents, with Garrisons and Outposts in over 50 countries around the globe.
Legion members make appearances at casual, promotional, and charitable events, often at the request of Lucasfilm’s Fan Events department. Although not officially affiliated with the Walt Disney Company or Lucasfilm LLC., the 501st Legion is Lucasfilm’s preferred Imperial costuming organization.
Giving back to the community is one of the 501st Legion’s highest priorities. Members regularly participate in events to raise awareness of charitable causes, from walk-a-thons to blood drives. Because of this, the 501st Legion proudly refers to themselves as “the bad guys who do good.”
*UPDATE* In 2012, the members of the 501st donated almost six million hours to raise over $184,000 in direct charitable funds and participated in events that helped raise $14.7 million for charity worldwide.
Capital City Garrison, which covers eastern Ontario, saw its beginnings in late 2004 and its first “major” event in 2005, assisting the “power of the force” toy line launched by Hasbro. May 2005, the group was contacted by Pepsi to help assist in marketing events surrounding the release of the final prequel star wars movie, “Revenge of the Sith”. In 2007, the group decided to form the Capital City Squad within the Canadian garrison. This permitted the group to become more self-sufficient at various local events and gave the local members a distinct identity in the 501st legion. In early 2010, the local membership voted to become an independent unit separate from the Canadian Garrison.
