'Wizards' come out to meet their fans in Naperville

All you had to see were the handcuffs on David Henrie's wrist to feel the special bond between the stars of "Wizards of Waverly Place" and their fans.

Henrie, who plays Justin Russo in the Disney series about a family of wizards, and Jennifer Stone, who plays Harper Finkle, signed autographs Sunday at the Naper Settlement during the Naperville Jaycees' Last Fling.

More than 1,000 fans lined up along Aurora Avenue as early as 8 a.m. just for the privilege of having the duo sign a picture and maybe exchange a word and a high-five.

"It's great," Stone said afterward in an understandably hoarse voice after finally finishing at 5:30 p.m. "It's very overwhelming. It's always nice to meet the fans and people that enjoy your work."

"To know that that many people appreciate my work is a very reassuring feeling," Henrie said.

Appreciation would be an understatement for the kind of adulation displayed by two 17-year-old girls from Libertyville, Jenny Arcaro and Ali Blair, and their 17-year-old friend from Delafield, Wis., Melissa Lugge, formerly of Libertyville.

The girls said they love the show, especially Alex Russo, the character played by Selena Gomez, saying they identify with her sarcasm.

Lugge woke up at 4 a.m. so she could pick up her friends. They arrived in line at 8 a.m.

The group carried bags of gifts, including the handcuffs for Henrie.

"Someone gave (them) to me and I was, like, 'You get my sense of humor,' so I put them on," Henrie said.

After it was all over, Henrie and Stone probably wished the pictures could have magically autographed themselves. But they clearly enjoyed giving and receiving attention.

"I think David got all the weird gifts," Stone said, referring to the handcuffs. "The guys usually do. Girls get the bracelets and the rings."

Tim DiGrazia of Naperville said the six-hour wait was worth it, especially for what it meant to his daughter Lauren and other family members and friends who came with. "It was worth my wait, to see them smile and have fun," he said.

The turnout was a triumph for the Jaycees. Eric Sunila, who is on the executive committee for the Last Fling, said, "It's not that often that television stars just drop off in Naperville."