You couldn’t swing a light saber without hitting a stormtrooper — including one who appeared in the original movie — at civic square on
Saturday. It just goes to show you that if you hold a Star Wars event, the fans will come. Brian Capri, from Oshawa, is from the 501st Canadian Garrison, which is part of a worldwide Star Wars fan base that has about 5,500 members. He describes himself as “a regular” at conventions, toy shows and movie releases. His day job is a lot like his weekend hobby -except during the week he builds the outfits that are in such huge demand among Star Wars followers. An Imperial Stormtrooper suit can cost upwards of $2,000 to make, but for the Star Wars fans that straps it on, it’s priceless. Capri got hooked up with Welland’s Rob D’Onofrio through the 501st. D’Onofrio has organized the Annual Star Wars Event and Toy Show in Welland for the last three years.
The one-day event is a fund-raiser for Help A Child Smile, a charity devoted to sending terminally ill children and their families on vacations to Disneyland.