Over the years,
you probably have heard me talk about The Sam Bish Foundation; a non-profit
group organized by the parents who lost their son to bone cancer and is
dedicated to helping families of children suffering from various forms
pediatric cancer. We have trooped
numerous times when it comes to the Sam Bish Foundation: from our first visit
with Sam in the hospital, the “Revenge of the Sith” movie night (where Sam was
made an honorary member of The Rebel Legion -- complete with his own lightsaber),
sending an “honor guard” to Sam’s funeral, even the Akron Aeros baseball game
with customized jerseys dedicated to Sam’s memory. For the members of Great
Lakes Base, Ohio Garrison and Rancor Clan, the Sam Bish Foundation has held a
special place in our hearts – broken as they may be at times – where the Bish
family is concerned.
This year’s
“Bish Bash” fundraiser, which helps support all the outreach and support the
foundation provides to families at local children’s hospitals, was held at
Westerville Christian Church.
When it comes to
the Bish family and the Sam Bish Foundation, our guys tend to take things to a whole
NEW level! Leading up to the
event, “Grumpy” -- and newly elected squad leader of GLB’s Clones of the
Republic detachment -- both designed a Star Wars-themed “Pediatric Cancer Stinks” patch (the
slogan of the Sam Bish Foundation), and he also personalized the chest plate of
his armor with the Sam Bish Foundation in aurebesh; the alphabet of the Star
Wars universe. This isn’t the
first time Grumpy has dedicated part of his clone armor to Sam’s memory, Sam’s
initials can also be found on Grumpy’s pauldron (also in aurebesh).
Meanwhile, the
rest of us were taking turns interacting with the kids; many of whom are cancer
patients themselves. Thanks to the efforts of the heroic Courtney Hodges -- who
may be suiting up for her first “mission” with Great Lakes Base in the near
future -- we even recorded a message for kids who could not leave the hospital to
attend the “Bish Bash”. Outside, there were not one but THREE different food
trucks selling their signature meals to help raise money. As BrainKenobi and I waited in line, we
joked that food trucks like these are what Luke Skywalker and his friends were
in a hurry to get to Toshe Station for… “you can waste time with your friends
when your chores are done.”
Overall, this
year’s “Bish Bash” was a huge success!
The Sam Bish Foundation as well as the Bish family hold a special place
in our hearts, but more importantly they have managed to turn their own
personal tragedy into a “rebellion” against pediatric cancer -- and Great Lakes
Base will always have their back.
