Who are these people?

At a record Gamblers crowd of 7,000 + this past Sunday, fans were entertained by four characters from Star Wars including R2D2 and Darth Vader. We brought the characters to the Gamblers game to promote this Saturday's on-sale of Star Wars: In Concert. The huge show will be at the Resch Center on July 3. The costumes are incredible and R2D2 looks like the "real thing" from the movies. These are not your average Star Wars fans. These folks are members of the 501st - a highly organized group of costume enthusiasts who appear for Star Wars related events. They are volunteers and donations are made to the charity of their choice for their work. The costumes are not run of the mill either. Many cost several thousand dollars. The volunteers are hard core Star Wars fans and the 501st is officially recognized and approved by Lucas Films to appear on behalf of Star Wars events. The R2D2 that appeared here was built by a gentleman from the Fox Valley and he says he has more than 800 hours of work in it. So while many of us are hunting or fishing or doing whatever as a hobby, these guys are appearing as Darth Vader or steering R2D2 around.....and loving every minute of it!