One of the great things that Star Wars has been able to do with its resurgence in popularity is use their brand to help raise money for worthy causes. They’re at it once again, as the Star Wars: Force for Change campaign has announced a new contest that will see one person get a trip to Skellig Michael, the location of the final scene in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Unlike that final scene, Mark Hamill will actually speak about it, although he apparently needs to be talked into it. Check out the official announcement below.
While we’ve seen Mark Hamill speak in interviews, it actually is a little unusual to hear his voice in the context of Star Wars. From an entertainment standpoint, it’s quite fun to watch Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy try to talk about the Force for Change charity while looking over at Hamill, who’s just glaring at the camera. We’re hoping that his predisposition for staying quiet isn’t a hint that he still isn’t talking when it comes to Star Wars: Episode VIII.
The Star Wars: Force for Change charity organization has raised over $10 million dollars for numerous organizations through donations from Star Wars fans. It’s a fairly impressive number considering the initiative only began around the time Star Wars: The Force Awakens began production. In that time, a number of Star Wars related prizes have been offered to those who donated. In the past somebody could win a cameo role in The Force Awakens, or a trip to the red carpet premier of the film.
This time, you get to take a trip to someplace a bit more exotic than Los Angeles. Skellig Michael is the largest of the Skellig Islands in Ireland and was used as the location where Luke Skywalker was finally found at the end of The Force Awakens. We know they went back there to do some filming already, so they’ll likely be gone by the time the winner arrives, but hey, it’s a free trip to a beautiful place, and you can find a good place to stand and stare intensely over the ocean for long periods. It'll make for some fantastic photo opportunities. Be sure to bring your robe if you win.
This time around, the Force for Change will be focusing its donations on the American Red Cross, the Boys and Girls Club of America, the Make-a-Wish-Foundation, and Unicef. It’s great to see Lucasfilm continue to use their power for good and raise so much money for worthy causes. We can’t wait to see how much money they can raise throughout the production of Episode VIII.
