Centurions gala to have Star Wars theme (2024)

Loni NanniniSpecial to the Arizona Daily Star

In Star Wars fandom, “May the Fourth Be With You” has become the classic rallying cry for heroes. The Centurions, a local charitable organization that has been raising money to serve at-risk children and their families for more than 50 years, is taking up that cry with “The Great Death Star Infiltration Celebration” at 6 p.m on Saturday, May 4, at the Tucson Convention Center.

“When we realized the event fell on May 4, the theme was perfect. A lot of the Centurions grew up in the Star Wars era and now our kids are growing up with the New Generation, so we are all familiar with it. The guys are really running with the theme for all of the different venues of the party and it should be a great night,” said Andy Brown, a long-time Centurion and chairman of the event.

Brown is also expecting costumes to be over-the-top, even for a Centurion event, which have have become synonymous with grand charitable themed parties designed to transport guests to exotic destinations and/or bygone eras.

“With all the different costume possibilities, it will be nice to be in the TCC with air conditioning and all of the events on one level. If people want to dress up, it will be the perfect time,” said Brown, who has a Jedi costume ready to go. Since Centurion tradition dictates that the party chairman from the previous year dresses the current chair, he is also open to other possibilities.

“It is a fun tradition. I will do my costume reveal on Saturday afternoon and we will see what looks best,” Brown said.

The fun will also feature themed raffles and various venues, including live music by Smash Mouth (with opening by the local band Swig Foot); a Casino with Blackjack, Craps and Roulette played for charity (raffle tickets for winnings and 300 raffle prizes will be given away); a special event area featuring a photo booth, arcade games, and a mini nightclub; a laser light show and much more.

Brown emphasized that charitable causes for children and their families are at the heart of the fun, which seeks to raise at least $400,000 to benefit the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at TMC For Children; Assistance League of Tucson; Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Southern Arizona and Courtney’s Courage.

“The common theme for all of these charities is that they deal not just with children, but have programs that treat the family, and we are embracing treatment of the whole family. We think it is huge that they support the moms and the dads and the siblings as well as the kids who are being treated or are dealing with a diagnosis,” said Brown.

While Brown is grateful that he hasn’t personally had to face the serious illness of a child, he believes that care for the entire family unit is a must.

“I just think that if something happened in my family it would be a huge benefit to talk to other parents who are going through the same thing and who can tell you what to expect and offer you advice on how to get through it: They can help you realize you that you are not alone,” said Brown.