People cosplay for a host of different reasons. For some, it’s about the craftsmanship and the satisfaction of making an exact replica of a favorite character’s costume. Some love to show off their creations to the crowds at conventions; they can’t get enough of getting their picture taken and talking to others about cosplay. More often, it’s a combination of those two motivations. For others though, it’s about more. Members of organizations across the country put on costumes for charity.
Imagine you’re a sick kid stuck in the hospital. You’re scared, and you aren’t able to leave the confines of the ward much if at all. But Star Wars helps you to forget about these problems for a little while. You’ve seen the movies as many times as your parents let you, you have piles of the toys, and you like to pretend you’re a Jedi. Now imagine characters from your beloved saga show up in your hospital wing. Jedi, Stormtroopers, Yoda, and even Darth Vader are suddenly real and in front of your eyes.
Yeah, that would be a big freaking deal.
Read more after the break…
Kye is a 7-year-old Batman fan that is suffering from leukemia. The Arlington Police and Fire Departments partnered up with A Wish with Wings foundation to make his dream of playing Batman come true. That doesn’t mean they just gave him the costume though—they went much farther than that. They arranged for the Joker to hold up a bank, there were fake bombs, the Riddler showed up – the story is right out of the pages of a comic book. Young Kye even received a key to the city.
Watch the heartwarming video after the break.
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Jacob French isn’t your average Star Wars fan and member of the 501st Legion. He not only dresses up like a Stormtrooper, he walks 3,000 miles in the costume for charity. French started his walk across Australia in July 2011; beginning his journey in Perth and recently ending it in Sydney. He walked more than ten hours each day and went through seven pairs of shoes. Wow.
The reason for the trip was to raise funds for Starlight Children’s Foundation. The charity helps sick children in hospitals across Australia. French visited with ill children along the way, and his journey ended at Sydney Children’s Hospital. Kids love to see the costume, and he told them stories about his trip. All-in-all, the walk raised more than $98,500.
Impressive. Most impressive.
See a couple more photos of his journey after the break.
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Fear not, good citizens. In Baltimore County in Maryland, the Caped Crusader visits sick children in hospitals and gives the sort of hope that only a superhero can. Lenny B. Robinson, the man behind the mask, was thrust into the limelight recently after he was pulled over for having a Batman emblem as a license plate on his Lamborghini. It’s not the first time he’s been in the news with car troubles either; he also had police assistance with a flat tire in November. He was in a full costume on both occasions, and he’s not just dressing up for kicks. He’s here to help.
Robinson is a successful businessman that uses his money and his time to pass out toys at the hospital to children fighting cancer. He talks with them and provides encouraging words; most of the kids are just thrilled to see a superhero (he’s even buying a $250,000 Batmobile replica to wow the kids even more). He’s so popular that various children’s causes have his contact information file. He even visits schools to speak out against bullying.
Robinson on playing the part:
“Eventually, it sinks in and you become him,” Batman told me. “It feels like I have a responsibility that’s beyond a normal person. And that responsibility is to be there for the kids, to be strong for them, and to make them smile as much as I can.” He understands that might sound corny, but he doesn’t care.
Pardon me. I have something in my eyes.
Read more about Route 29 Batman at the Washington Post.
These adorable made-to-order felt pins/magnets are being sold to help raise money for Gary Friedrich, the creator of Ghost Rider whom Marvel recently counter-sued for a paltry $17,000 over money he made for appearances attached to the Ghost Rider franchise (Friedrich signed away his rights to Marvel back in the ’70s and unsuccessfully sued Marvel for a cut of the movie profits). At this point, Friedrich isn’t allowed to make a living from his own creation in any way.
It’s within Marvel’s legal right to do this, but the morality of such a move is another matter. Plus, the issue is complicated by the fact that Friedrich is destitute and suffers from serious heath issues. He may even lose his home.
That having been said, proceeds from these pins/magnets are going to a worthy cause. The pins themselves appear to be sold out (though Etsy seller DeadlySweetPlushes might take custom requests), but you can stil help through charitable efforts set up by 30 Days of Night creator Steve Niles, comic artist Neil Adams and others.
(via Super Punch)
Underneath this Stormtrooper mask you’ll find Paul French, a man who is walking across Australia from Perth to Sydney (2547 miles) in an effort to raise money for the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
For more than 25 years, Starlight Children’s Foundation has been dedicated to improving the quality of life for children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses and life-altering injuries by providing entertainment, education and family activities that help them cope with the pain, fear and isolation of prolonged illness.
Obviously, Paul French is smart enough to know that dressing up as a Stormtrooper is a great way to get the internet’s attention—but wearing the costume certainly won’t make the trip any easier.
Check out additional images after the break.
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Who are those people with blood on their face staggering down a Dublin street? It’s not a drunken mob (this time), it’s participants in the Dublin Zombie Walk 2010. They went all out with the costumes, and the whole thing is for a good cause. The event is held to raise money for the Irish Cancer society.
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G4′s Attack of the Show recently sponsored a Star Wars themed car wash made up of scantily clad Princess Leia clones who soaped up cars for the Make a Wish Foundation.Where else could you get your car cleaned, objectify women, give to charity, indulge in nerdy pastimes and get rejected all in one place?
Frequent Attack of the Show guest Chris Gore uploaded video of what he called the “greatest car wash of all time” (it’s hard to argue with that). One of them can be seen after the break.
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