Caravan of the Force

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JediNews.co.uk and Star Wars Celebration Europe are delighted to announce Caravan of the Force in association with Toys ‘R’ Us.

Caravan of the Force is a two vehicle convoy with six people on-board, all with the common goal of raising money for Make-A-Wish Foundation.  The Caravan will be travelling from the UK to France, Belgium, Holland and Germany arriving in time for Star Wars Celebration Europe that takes place 26-28th July in Messe Essen, and then all the way back to London again!  As they reach each country they’ll be welcomed by the local 501st Garrison in order to raise awareness of the  trip and raise funds for Make-A-Wish.

The trip has been organized and will be led by James Burns and Mark Newbold who co-own/run Jedi News, the UK’s #1 Star Wars fan site and the largest English speaking Star Wars fan site in Europe.  James and Mark also write for the Official Star Wars magazine, Star Wars Insider, as well as the Official Star Wars Blog at StarWars.com where you’ll be able to track their progress with daily updates.  Lucasfilm worked with James and Mark to put the Caravan together and help turn their wacky idea into reality.

Joining James and Mark is fan favorite actor Jeremy Bulloch, who played Boba Fett in the original Star Wars films as well as a cameo part in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.  In addition to his Star Wars roles he’s acted in several other television shows and films including Summer Holiday and the James Bond film Octopussy which like Return of the Jedi also celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.  Jeremy’s wife Maureen is also coming along to keep us all in check!
The final two people joining the Caravan are Jedi News team members Matt Booker (Automattic Comics) and Dave Tree (All the Cool Stuff and Palitoy Archive) who bring their driving skills and almost eighty years of combined Star Wars knowledge on-board.

A journey like this is a great way to spread the word, explain what Make-A-Wish does, raise money for them, and at the same time continue to promote the great charitable efforts the Star Wars community provides worldwide each and every day.  Our aim is to raise a total of £5,000 for Make-A-Wish to help make a difference to children who won’t necessarily get the chance to travel on exciting journeys like this or enjoy the magic of Star Wars at a Celebration event. We invite friends, family, strangers and Star Wars fans alike to dig deep and contribute to the Caravan of the Force at JustGiving.co.uk which accepts all major currencies.  It doesn’t matter how big or little the contribution, it all goes to Make-A-Wish and hopefully together we can help bring smiles to the faces of many terminally ill children by turning their wishes and dreams into reality.

The Caravan would not be possible without our generous sponsors including Toys ‘R’ Us, Holiday Inn (who supplied our accommodation in the UK), Hyundai (who supplied our vehicles), P&O Ferries (who enabled us to cross the channel) and Vodafone (who are powering our communications across the whole trip).

You can join in the fun too at one of our first stops on July 19th when we’ll be visiting Toys ‘R’ Us in Brent Cross, London for the launch of Hasbro’s new Star Wars series of 3.75” and 6” figures called The Black Series.  The event will start at 7:30pm and Jeremy Bulloch will be signing autographs on a special Black Series backing card. You’ll have the first opportunity in Europe to buy the figures.  The 501st UK Garrison, Rebel Legion and R2 Builders Club will be on hand to keep the crowds under control and pose for fun photos.

There will be more chances to catch up with the Caravan of the Force at various locations across the UK, France, Belgium and Germany – more details to follow.

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Monitor the progress of the Caravan of the Force at StarWars.com, JediNews.co.uk, Facebook and on Twitter.

 

T-bone Shaving His Head For Charity – Donations Needed

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Hey Star Wars fans, T-bone here. I’m happy to announce that on July 1, 2013 I’ll be shaving my head for charity.

The charity is children’s cancer research via St. Baldrick’s. For those unfamiliar with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, they’re a well-known charitable organization that has (so far) raised over $30,000,000 for children’s cancer research by shaving people’s heads, among other things. It’s the same thing as charity walks or marathons. You sponsor the participant by donating money and then the participant does something (like run a 5k – or in this case, shaving their head) and the money goes directly to charity.

It’s a great cause and you can donate any amount you want so please support your old buddy T-bone. May the Force be with us as we battle cancer.

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Thank you!