The Ohio Garrison is one of the many divisions of the 501st Legion, an international STAR WARS costuming club with over 14,000 active members in 69 countries and six continents. Our members design, build, and wear a variety of high-quality costumes found throughout the STAR WARS universe. These costumes range from villainous characters such as Stormtroopers, TIE Pilots, or Darth Vader; to morally ambiguous and non-partisan characters as found in the likes of Tusken Raiders, Jawas, or even Din Djarin from The Mandalorian.
While the 501st Legion is primarily a costuming club, we facilitate the usage of our costumes in support of various nonprofit, community, and charitable organizations. Our appearances include events such as STAR WARS Reads programs at local libraries, raising money at conventions for charities like Make-a-Wish, spreading hope and lifting spirits at children’s hospitals, participating in the National Down Syndrome Society’s Buddy Walk, and many more! As LucasFilm’s premier costuming club, you may even find us in attendance at official STAR WARS appearances and promotions such as at ballparks, stadiums, movie releases, or concert series.
Our membership volunteers a significant amount of time in support of these events. As such, the Ohio Garrison operates with the aid of Squads, which are regional subdivisions, to best facilitate the coordination and deployment of members throughout the state. We also work closely with our sister organizations found in Ohio, Apollo Base of the Rebel Legion and Rancor Clan of the Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club, to ensure that the variety of STAR WARS costumes found by the three clubs can appear together and be celebrated by all STAR WARS fans in attendance no matter who their favorite character is. Similarly, we often liaise with our neighboring 501st Legion families and can be found attending events in their territories, just as they can find themselves in ours: Bluegrass Garrison (Kentucky), Bloodfin Garrison (Indiana), Northern Darkness Garrison (northern Indiana), Great Lakes Garrison (Michigan), Starkiller Garrison (western Pennsylvania), and Garrison Corellia (West Virginia).
In having served our communities for over 25 years, the 501st Legion’s steadfast commitment has earned the moniker “Bad Guys Doing Good” by bringing the magic of STAR WARS to children and adults alike. If we can be of service for your upcoming event, we would be honored if you CONTACT US.
These Bad Guys Doing Good hope to see you soon!