Mark Hamill And ‘Star Wars’ Buddies Visit The Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, stopped by the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles along with a host of iconic Star Wars character to spread some holiday cheer.

Mark Hamill Visits The Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

While they were sworn enemies in the original Star Wars movies, Hamill and Darth Vader seemed to have buried the hatchet at least long enough to give the excited young fans a chance for a photo opp.

The visit was organised by volunteers from the Star Wars-centric 501st Legion, reports TODAY.com. The group was founded as a Star Wars fan community and later embraced putting “its resources to good use through fundraising, charity work, and volunteerism.”

Owen Lei, a spokesman for the hospital was delighted with the event. “Over and over again, I heard from a lot of the parents and a lot of the staff, ‘Wow, there’s so much energy. The kids are so happy!’ And it wasn’t just the kids, it was the parents, too,” Lei told TODAY.com. “And, to be honest, a lot of the staff were excited, too.”

Attractions besides Hamill and Vader included cheeky droid R2-D2, a veritable army of Stormtroopers and lightsabers galore.

With the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens this week Star Wars mania is gripping the world once more. Hamill had been noticeably absent from promo material for the flick so it’s nice to see him and about, interacting with new franchise fans.