In a galaxy not so far away, a group of stormtroopers, Sith lords, bounty hunters and aliens are using costumes once meant to represent evil to do good in their community.

Cloud City Garrison, the Oregon and southwest Washington unit of the international 501st Legion, is a volunteer Star Wars costuming group known for building screen-accurate replicas of the franchise’s most iconic antagonists. But behind the armor is a community rooted not in galactic domination, but in generosity, camaraderie and a shared passion for giving back.

Founded in 1997, the 501st Legion is a global network of costuming chapters that appear at charity events, school visits and community parades — all free of charge. Instead of accepting payment, members encourage donations to local nonprofits. In 2019 alone, Cloud City Garrison helped raise $11,286 across 185 events, contributing nearly 2,000 volunteer hours.

Michael Halstead, Cloud City Garrison’s commanding officer, oversees day-to-day operations, coordinates appearances and represents the unit on the legion’s governing council. A member for nearly nine years, Halstead stepped into the leadership role shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cloud City Garrison was founded in 2002 as a unit originally part of Washington’s Garrison Titan. By 2006, the group had grown large enough to become its own garrison — a designation given when a unit gains enough members to self-manage and operate independently from its parent group.

“They take the entire legion and split it into garrisons, which are geographical regions,” says Michael Halstead. “Oregon and southwest Washington make up Cloud City Garrison.”

Each garrison member builds their own costume, which must be approved by 501st Legion staff. The organization maintains a Costume Reference Library that outlines design standards to ensure screen accuracy, with each costume tailored to the individual. Membership is open to anyone, regardless of gender or body type.

“Doesn’t matter who’s under the mask,” Halstead says — a phrase the group uses often.

“Any costume can be fit to any person, and anybody can wear anything,” Halstead says. “We want to help people avoid spending money on pieces that won’t be approved.”

Halstead’s personal costume collection includes a stormtrooper, biker scout, Kylo Ren, Boba Fett, a Wampa and a Gamorrean Guard from Return of the Jedi. He also portrays characters from the Rebel Alliance, including an X-Wing pilot and Jedi Master Plo Koon.

“There’s only about a dozen Gamorrean guard costumes in the whole legion worldwide,” he says. “It’s fun to wear something so rare.”

Halstead says, “The annual highlights of the events that we do in Eugene: We do the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, the Oregon Ducks tailgate party on Saturday night. Our Star Wars Night with the Eugene Emeralds baseball team is a really big one.” 

Cloud City Garrison’s work in Eugene also includes the Light of Liberty Celebration, the Asian Celebration and this month the May 24 Costco Children’s Miracle Network fundraiser. The group also partners with the Eugene Symphony for Star Wars-themed performances and has previously attended Eugene Con, the local comics and pop culture convention. One of their most well-known local appearances is that August 23 Star Wars Night with the Eugene Emeralds at PK Park.

The garrison has a busy year ahead in Eugene. On May 4 (Star Wars Day), members will appear at Oregon Contemporary Theatre for ExperienceOCT. Later in the month, they’ll gear up for Operation Big Wheels, a touch-a-truck fundraiser on May 17, and their May schedule wraps up with a special appearance alongside the Eugene Symphony for a live performance of The Empire Strikes Back on May 31.

Halstead says the Eugene area has a dedicated group of volunteers. “We’ve got a good contingent of troopers down in Eugene,” he says. “They do a great job of making sure that community is served.”

Halstead says the group never accepts donations directly. Instead, at major events, they partner with organizations such as Make-A-Wish, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, Magic Wheelchair and the Autism Society. Donations are handed directly to the nonprofits at the end of each event.

“So, we never take money, we try to direct people to — if they do want to donate — to charitable things that are important to us, such as Magic Wheelchair, Make-A-Wish, Doernbecher,” Halstead says.

“If anybody wants to come up to Portland, we always do a huge event — Rose City Comic Con in September,” he says.

“We have raffles, costumes on display so people can see the craftsmanship that goes into them, and all of it is to raise money for Magic Wheelchair. Last year, we hit a record — I believe it was just about $14,000 raised over the three-day weekend,” he says.

Staying true to the legion’s mission, the garrison’s appearances are designed to inspire donations and support for causes that help others.

Anthony Armendariz, who joined Cloud City in 2018, manages public relations and helps onboard new members. He portrays both a stormtrooper and Emperor Palpatine, and is currently working on a Commander Cody costume.

“We just like to be able to connect and give back to all of our communities and share our love of Star Wars,” Armendariz says.

The garrison is open to new members and regularly hosts meet-and-greets throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. Halstead says he’s hoping to schedule one in Eugene soon.

“We haven’t had one in Eugene in a while, so it’s about time,” he says. “It’s a great chance for the public to meet troopers, learn about what we do and find out how to get involved.”

For more information on upcoming events or how to get involved visit CloudCityGarrison.com. To learn more about the international 501st Legion, go to 501st.com.