Brewhouse Xtras

Not being able to be home for the holidays is something that many deal with yearly whether it be plane ticket prices, weather or, for thousands of kids, health.

Now until December 9, 2011, all Scotty's restaurants, including Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co, Scotty's Lakehouse, Scotty's Burger Joint and Scotty's Brewhouse locations, will be collecting new unwrapped toys for the children staying at Riley Hospital for Children. For every toy donation made you will receive a free order of Dill Chips. 

During a few special days you will also be able to see the 501^st Legion 'guarding' the Riley keep.

• November 27th from 6p-8p the 501^st Legion will be at Scotty's Burger Joint, 310 Washington St. Columbus, IN 47201
• November 29th from 6p-8p the 501^st Legion will be at Scotty's Brewhouse 3905 E 96^th St. Indianapolis, IN 46240
• December 4th from 6p-8p the 501^st Legion will be at Scotty's Brewhouse 352 E State St. West Lafayette, IN 47906

What is the 501^st Legion? "We originally were created over a decade ago by a group of Star Wars fans whose main interest was creating the most screen accurate costumes possible to wear at events like sci-fi conventions. Over the years, however, our mission has evolved into appearing at charity and sporting events, parades, hospitals, and official promotions for Star Wars," said Matt Hofmann, the Central Indiana Events Coordinator of the 501st Legion.

One member will be donating their entire Star Wars collection to the cause during their stent at the Scotty's Burger Joint location on November 27^th. "Chris Baker, one of our Rebel Legion members, was brought into the world of costuming indirectly through toy collection. Through the years of participating in events such as this toy drive, he realized that what we do is so much bigger than the movies or dressing up or collecting toys, so he decided that instead of holding onto them, he made the decision to donate the toys to Riley Kids, knowing how many children could be brought happiness during the holidays as a result," said Hofmann. 

This isn't the first time the 501^st legion has been involved in Scotty's. "Our affiliation with Scotty's has been very similar in evolution, where we initially started appearing during GenCon in Indianapolis last year, but since then has included the promotion of the Riley Kids toy events. The 501st and Rebel Legions have always kept promoting children's charities and organizations our top priority, and there is no more important time during the year to keep these groups in people's minds than during the holidays. We're often called living action figures by people who come to our events, so participating in toy drives makes perfect sense," said Hofmann.

To sweeten the deal, the days that the 501^st Legion is going to be at the Scotty's locations are the same days that your kids can eat free. Nothing like a lesson in giving your new toys to others along with getting their meal completely free.