While you ring in the New Year, Darren Blum will be prepping for his first Imperial March.

Blum, a Rochester native, will be marching in the 118th Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, as one of 200 Imperial Stormtroopers, the infamous white-helmeted baddies from the "Star Wars" movies. Led by "Star Wars" creator and Grand Marshal George Lucas, the parade group will consist of members from the 501st Legion, a fan club dedicated to building accurate replicas of Imperial costumes.

The 501st Legion claims more than 3000 members from 22 countries. They often make appearances at conventions, town festivals, and charity events. "It's so much fun being in costume, especially when you see kids' expressions," says Blum, the commanding officer of Garrison Excelsior, the group's local chapter. "With Imperial costumes, it's easier to look like you just walked off the movie set."

In June, Lucasfilm asked the 501st Legion for audition tapes of members marching in full Stormtrooper regalia. Blum sent in his tape, and in late October, he was invited to show off his marching chops in the 2007 Rose Bowl Parade. Blum was the sole member selected from Garrison Excelsior and one of only two from New York.

For four days prior to the parade, seven hours a day, Blum will practice his moves with Colonel Anthony Toledo, a former Army drill instructor. "They're going to whip us into shape," Blum says. Toledo will teach the 501st members how to march military-style in their homemade armor --- no easy task, considering that the costumes are heavy and inflexible, and the helmets block most peripheral vision. For Blum, it will be even harder. This will be his first parade as a Stormtrooper; around the Rochester area, he's better known for his 7-foot Chewbacca costume.

You can catch Blum and the rest of the Stormtroopers when the Rose Bowl Parade airs Monday, January 1, at 11 a.m. on ABC.