On December 9th, the Jedi Knights of Cleveland, Ohio Star Wars Collectors Club, Rebel Legion and Ohio Garrison of the 501st got together for their annual Winter Social. With a group like that, it’s no surprise they headed to the only restaurant in Ohio with a full-sized X-wing fighter parked out front, Mike’s Place in Kent. But it wasn’t all just fun and games, they also collected toys for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots campaign. Over 30 people attended and almost two full boxes of toys were picked up by the Marines.

But that’s not all the JKOC did that weekend. The very next day, members appeared in costume at St. Peter Chanel High School’s annual Christmas Party for Children with Cerebral Palsy. This was just the latest in a long line of appearances made by JKOC over a year that started with them raising over $3,000 for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland’s Bowl 4 Kids’ Sake event. Throughout the year, they also appeared at charitable events for Camp Quality Ohio, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society and Mentor Baptist Church.

It wasn’t all just for charity with the JKOC, though. Just for fun, members also attended the Great Lakes Medieval Faire, an Akron Aeroes game, the Cleveland Grand Prix, Boo at the Zoo, Twisted Nightmare Weekend Con, Motor City Con, Wizard World Chicago, Dragon*Con, Mid-Ohio-Con, COSI Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination opening and closing events. We even went star gazing at the NASA Lewis Research Center.

And the year isn’t over yet. On December 31st, members of the JKOC, Rebel Legion and Ohio Garrison will be ringing in the new year with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra as they perform a special concert celebrating the 30th anniversary of Star Wars.

Who knows, maybe they’ll even find a way to add one or two more events this year. Who wants to see Eragon?