As San Diego Comic-Con approaches, and we look forward to a number of different exclusives, I’ve been reminded of the inspiration behind one of these figures:
Hasbro and Lucasfilm Ltd have donated $100,000 to Benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation, PAWTUCKET, R.I. – Hasbro, Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. announce the creation of a limited-edition Star Wars action figure to honour Katie Johnson, a very special Star Wars fan who tragically passed away from brain cancer in 2005 at the age of seven. In conjunction with this figure, Hasbro and Lucasfilm will help make more wishes come true for children like Katie by donating $100,000 in her memory to the Make-A-Wish Foundations of South Carolina and San Diego.
Hasbro’s R2-KT droid figure will be available at San Diego Comic-Con International July 25-29 at the booths of Hasbro and StarWarsShop with a small inventory also being offered for sale online through HasbroToyShop.com and StarWarsShop.com following the event.
The Star Wars saga has always been near to the heart of the Johnson family–in fact, Katie’s father, Albin Johnson, is the founder of the 501st Legion, a Star Wars costuming fan club that performs charity work around the world. So it’s not too surprising that Katie’s sister Allie wished her sister had an “Artoo” droid to look after her while she underwent her cancer treatment–just like R2-D2 cared for Padmé in Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones.
The R2-KT action figure—which looks like a pink version of R2-D2—will cost $9.99. In addition, Albin and Allie Johnson will be bringing the full-size R2-KT to Comic-Con to show to fans. For images & info about the R2-KT project, please visit this site www.r2kt.com
With the excitement of attending conventions like SDCC and Celebration Europe, it’s easy to forget the difficulties that people face on a daily basis. With R2-KT in your collection, perhaps it can serve as a constant reminder.
Thanks to Chris Baker for the email