Harrison Ford Promotes Charitable Contest To Attend Star Wars: The Force Awakens Premiere

By Aaron Brophy 11/26/15 | www.samaritanmag.com

Harrison Ford interrupts a conversation — photo credit: Star Wars YouTube channel
Harrison Ford, the actor behind Star Wars' rascally Han Solo character, surprised some charitably-minded Star Wars fans with an impromptu cyber-meeting during the reveal of a galactic-sized new campaign from Star Wars: Force For Change.

Star Wars: Force For Change, the charitable arm of the Star Wars universe run by Disney and Lucasfilm, is offering a chance for two separate grand prize winners to win a trip for four to the red carpet premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens via the charity auction site Omaze.

In addition to the four tickets, winners will get to meet the cast, walk the red carpet at either the Los Angeles or London Star Wars: The Force Awakens premiere. Winners and guests will also enjoy free flights to the premiere and a stay in a four-star hotel.

In the promo video for the new campaign two Omaze reps are having streaming conversations with Star Wars fans who've donated to past Force For Change initiatives when Ford casually walks up and inserts himself into the conversations.

Ford is quick with a quip for one woman who's seen standing beside a framed photo of Chewbacca, the hairy Wookie character.

"Is that a picture of your boyfriend?" he says. "Lady, you can do so much better."

In a different interaction, a fan is explaining to the Omaze reps that Padmé Amadala, the character played by Natalie Portman, is her personal favourite. This prompts a confused Ford to insert himself into the call, asking incredulously, "Who's your favourite character?"

After Ford explains what donors could win if they score the grand prize he comes back to the Padmé fan asking, "Now, who's your favourite character?" to which she tearily replies, "Han Solo."

The last time Star Wars: Force For Change ran a contest like this the organization raised more than $4 million, Ford says in the promo video. For this campaign money raised will be split between 15 separate charities: Africa Cancer Foundation, Arts in the Armed Forces (AITAF), Barnardos UK, Central London Samaritans, Damilola Taylor Trust, fStop Warrior Project, Feeding America, Make-A-Wish, Malala Fund, PACER: Children’s Mental Health and Emotional or Behavioral Disorders Project, Phab, St. Francis Hospice Raheny, The Circle, UNICEF and Union of Concerned Scientists ("Charity").

How a person enters the contest to attend the premiere is by donating to Force For Change through purchasing a number of different prize packages. The more expensive the package, the greater the number of chances that person has to win the grand prize.

For example, a $25 donation earns 250 ballots towards the premiere contest as well as a Star Wars: The Force Awakens Digital Badge. A $100 donation earns 1,000 ballots and an exclusive Star Wars: The Force Awakens BB8 t-shirt. There are also a number of marquee contest packages available, though a number of them are close to, or have already sold out, like the $20,000 package that earned one persona a life-sized replica Stormtrooper outfit or the $10,000 replica Kylo Ren helmet package.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in Canadian theatres December 18, 2015.

Watch the contest trailer:

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* Samaritanmag.com is an online magazine covering the good deeds of individuals, charities and businesses.