The cold black mask of Darth Vader, a former jedi seduced by the dark side of the force, is a seducing force that hooked Christopher Bradley into the Star Wars movie franchise.
"He just has always seem to to me like the coolest movie villain. He doesn't speak a whole lot but when he does it's scary and intimidating," Bradley said.
And now Bradley is helping draw hundreds of kids to the force. They're part of the Central Garrison of the 501st Legion, an all-volunteer, international star wars costuming club. To be part of the 501, the member's costumes have to be approved. They're all handmade. The local chapter's seven foot tall Chewbacca took more than 2 years and hundreds of hand knotted hair extensions to make his costume. With 38 years since the first movie release, new technology has upgraded costuming.
"I have fiberglass pieces, better paint. It's better than movie quality," said Bradley.
Blessed by LucasFilm and Disney, the studios behind "Star Wars," the 501st is popping up everywhere these days. All volunteer, the 501st never charges for appearances. Instead they ask for donations to charities like Make a Wish foundation in their name. Last year they raised more than 30 million dollars across the country for charity. With the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens, there's a new hope for even more fans, raising even more money, for others.
