Saturday, January 31, 2015

Operation: Sean's troopers


**UPDATE** This post has been updated to show that we are now selling the Patches and Coin/Sticker combo from our webstore. Order Now!

It's been a while since I've posted up here, so let me start out by saying, GREETINGS! I am TK-66613 of the Florida garrison Makaze Squad, First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment. After my father was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2012 I made it my personal mission to do battle with cancer in all forms through my work with the 501st legion, an army of Star Wars fans who have dedicated themselves through good works and detailed costuming. Since that time I have raised thousands for cancer charities, attended countless fundraising events, made personal visits to sick and terminal children, and made a lot of amazing friends along they way!

I am writing today to tell the story of one of my favorite troops, a visit to the amazing Give Kids the World Village in Orlando, Florida, a 70-acre resort complete with over 144 Villa accommodations, entertainment attractions, whimsical venues, and fun specifically designed for children with special needs. We were called in for a special "Make a Wish" visit for Sean Corona, a young man who had used his love of all things Star Wars to help him through the trials of cancer treatment. Sean's family started a Facebook page for him called 'Sean's Troopers' to update family and friends about Sean's progress in treatment and allow people to show their support of Sean and his family.





Our visit with Sean was a special one, he was so excited to see all of us and knew each character by name. He led us around the village and  took us to see all of the other children. We brought Sean some cool Star Wars toys and had a really wonderful afternoon together. Sean made a very strange request of us nearing the end of the troop. When we had returned to our backstage area, Sean asked us if we would be willing to remove our helmets so he could see our faces. Normal 501st protocol is to never, EVER remove your helmet in the view of the public, but considering the nature of this "Make a Wish" event, we decided as a group that we would oblige him. Sean took the time to talk with each of us, about Star Wars, about the 501st, and to tell us how much he genuinely appreciated all of us being there that day. To say he made an impression on us is an understatement.



 After the visit our squad continued to follow his progress online and keep in touch with his family, sharing in his ups and downs and cheering him on along the way. Sadly this week it was brought to our attention that Sean's cancer has relapsed and progressed to stage 4, making him a high risk patient. Our troopers are rallying to his cause and have organised a fundraiser to help his parents with a second round of medical costs and are organizing a care package to send to Sean to keep his spirits up in this time of trouble.

Please help Sean take on this second battle with cancer by purchasing one of these "Sean's Troopers" patches, or a Coin/ decal combo pack. 100% of all proceeds will go to help Sean's Family. To pre-order these items, click the link here- order 

Patch
Coin

Sticker



If you would like to make a direct donation to Sean's family without ordering a patch you can send it via Paypal to troopforthecure@gmail.com

I would also like to encourage any troopers reading this to stop by Sean's Facebook page and give him some words of encouragement. I know it will make his day better to know he has an Empire of support behind him.


Sean is a very special little boy to us, not because he loves Star Wars, but because his heart is so big. Sean is a real Trooper. He's one of us.

Please help us help him beat this.

-TK-66613
Never tell me the odds