One man honored his late wife in an out-of-this-world way.
Before her death from pancreatic cancer in 2012, Kevin Doyle's wife, Eileen, was a huge "Star Wars" fan, and a member of the 501st Legion, a group of volunteers who dress up as characters from the series.
To pay tribute to his beloved late wife, Kevin, 57, who is also a fan of the franchise, decided to walk from the Rancho Obi-Wan, a Star Wars museum in Petaluma, California, to Comic-Con in San Diego in a stormtrooper costume, with the aim of raising money through a crowdfunded campaign for "Eileen's Little Angels" -- a nonprofit he plans to create that will provide toys featuring Eileen’s artwork to children battling cancer.
Kevin set out on the trek in early June and finally completed the 645-mile-long journey last week, spending the weekend at Comic-Con. The experience, he said, gave him the clarity he was looking for after his wife's death.
"With visiting and talking [during the trip] I have found the healing I was hoping for," the 57-year-old told The Huffington Post in a message.
When Kevin initially planned the trip, he mapped it out on Google, which revealed the journey to be 501 miles, the San Diego Union Tribune reported. Though the trek ended up being longer, he took that number as a sign, as both he and Eileen were in the 501st Legion. Wheeling a pet stroller carrying his camping supplies, Kevin walked between 20-45 miles a day through traffic, rainstorms and heatwaves. Along the way, he was greeted by supportive strangers, some of whom shared their own experiences with cancer.
“I get people that come up to me who are fighting cancer or are cancer survivors, people and their families and they just want to talk to me and thank me for raising awareness,” Kevin told the Coast News while on his journey. He later added, "For me, it’s just me walking to honor my wife, but then people are gathering and making it really special. And they’re making it personal for them.”
After arriving in San Diego, Kevin had the opportunity to attend the Star Wars: The Force Awakens panel, and received a standing ovation from the crowd there, according to Polygon. He also led a procession of stormtroopers along with more than 6,000 fans -- something Disney arranged -- to a surprise free outdoor Star Wars concert, according to Getty Images.
Kevin will soon be making his way back to the Rancho Obi-Wan museum and plans to visit a few stops along the way -- this time, though, he'll indulge in some help from public transportation.
Also on HuffPost:
