'Star Wars' Draws Global Fans for Charity

NEW YORK (AP) _ What new movie is worth waiting in line 19 days to see? Fans, some in costume, standing in the Manhattan rain all had one answer: ``Stars Wars: Episode III _ Revenge of the Sith.''

Monday, May 2nd 2005, 9:53 am

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) _ What new movie is worth waiting in line 19 days to see? Fans, some in costume, standing in the Manhattan rain all had one answer: ``Stars Wars: Episode III _ Revenge of the Sith.''

But they didn't line up outside the Ziegfeld Theater on Saturday just to get into the premiere after midnight on May 19. The Stand-A-Thon benefits the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, a Canadian-based nonprofit that aims to help severely ill children and their families.

The ``Star Wars'' devotees came from 20 states and from Brazil, Great Britain, Netherlands, Peru, Mexico, France, Sweden, Spain and Germany.

The 19-day wait isn't as bad as it sounds. It's split among 250 people who signed up for shifts ranging from hours to days at a time, most bringing pledges to the children's foundation for every hour in line.

Another ``Star Wars'' line was already up and waiting in Los Angeles. For the past two weeks, fans have been camping outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre, where previous ``Star Wars'' movies played _ even though the new film's Hollywood engagement is at a theater a mile away.

Fans in Paris have a three-day ``Star Wars'' reunion on May 13-15, featuring a panel of guests including actors Peter Mayhew and Jeremy Bulloch, while fans in the Netherlands plan an organized wait May 18-19 in Vlissingen.

At the Ziegfeld, only 30 people at a time are allowed to stand outside. One was Christian Bontiagao, 30, of Jersey City, N.J., costumed as a ``Star Wars'' storm trooper.

``I've been a fan since I was 6, when I saw 'Star Wars' at a friend's house,'' said the Nasdaq computer expert.

``This movie has been such a big part of people's lives for so long. Everyone relates to it,'' he said. ``Everyone goes through tragedy in their lives, and this is a story of good versus evil.''