New Course of the Force Co-Host: Ashley Eckstein

The Course of the Force charity lightsaber relay has a new co-host, Her Universe founder and Clone Wars actress Ahsley Eckstein.


Ashley Eckstein to Co-Host Course of the Force Lightsaber Relay


SANTA MONICA, CA (May 23, 2012) –Star Wars™ fans everywhere have yet another reason to be excited about the inaugural Course of the Force lightsaber relay. Ashley Eckstein, voice of the characterAhsoka Tano in the hit television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, will team with Nerdist Industries’ founder Chris Hardwick and the Nerdist Channel’s Alison Haislip to lead legions of Star Wars fans from Santa Monica to San Diego and into San Diego Comic-Con International ®. The Course of the Force is a five-day relay, July 7-11, forStar Wars enthusiasts to celebrate their love of the Saga. The event is held in partnership with Lucasfilm, Ltd., Nerdist Industries and Octagon to raise proceeds for Make-A-Wish®.  


“I am so excited to be a part of such an amazing event,” said Eckstein.  “When Course of the Force was first announced I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of it. I am honored to be working with Chris, Alison and Nerdist Industries, and I ask my fellow Star Wars fans to join me for this worthy cause.”


Eckstein currently stars as the voice of Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. She is also the founder of Her Universe™ which is the first merchandise line exclusively for female sci-fi fans. Her Universe products includeStar Wars and Syfy licensed apparel and accessories. 


“Ashley is a glorious addition to the Course of the Force. She is not just an important character on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, she is also a true follower of the Saga. I am but a mere Padawan in comparison to her Jedi mastery,” states Nerdist Industries founder and Course of the Force host Chris Hardwick.


Giving the event a true fan’s touch, Eckstein, Hardwick and Haislip will follow the action from the Course of the Force lead vehicle each day, broadcasting live to fans across the world onStarWars.com  and the Nerdist YouTube channel (youtube.com/nerdist). They will be joined by special guests from the Saga and pop-culture to put on an epic celebration for both the fans in attendance and watching online. 


In addition, Eckstein and Hardwick will run quarter-mile legs of the relay. They will be joined by celebrity guests, Make-A-Wish kids and over 300 fans who register online atcourseoftheforce.com/registration. One hundred percent of runner proceeds benefit the Make-A-Wish chapters of San Diego, Greater Los Angeles, and Orange County and the Inland Empire.


At quarter-mile markers, participants will hand off the official Course of the Force lightsaber to the next runner as they begin their leg of the journey. On July 7, Course of the Force will kick off with an event at the Santa Monica Pier at 10:00 a.m. The relay will start later in the day and end that night at the Redondo Beach Pier. Other planned stops include Huntington Beach Pier, Oceanside and Crystal Pier at Pacific Beach. Instead of running, Monday, July 9 will feature special sponsor promotions, to be announced at a later date. The final day of the inaugural Course of the Force will conclude in San Diego at the Balboa Theatre, with entertainment to cap off the epic journey.

*All times approximate and subject to change. The concluding event at the Balboa Theatre is a ticketed event. All other events mentioned in schedule are free to the public.

RESOURCES

Website – CourseoftheForce.com

Facebook – facebook.com/courseoftheforce                    

Twitter - @CourseOtheForce

Google + - plus.google.com/103291298159790820268

Pinterest – pinterest.com/courseotheforce/

YouTube – youtube.com/nerdist

TWITTER SHARE
@Heruniverse joins @nerdist & @alisonhaislip to co-host @CourseotheForce lightsaber relay July 7-11 before @Comic_Con http://bit.ly/KdBrXT 

ABOUT HER UNIVERSE

Ashley Eckstein launched Her Universe in 2009 to directly address the expanding market of female fans by entering into its first agreement with Lucas Licensing to develop and produce a line of female-centeredStar Wars apparel and accessories. The success of that line was followed up with a collection for the Syfy network. You can learn more about Her Universe by going to its website atwww.heruniverse.com and by following Eckstein on Twitter athttps://twitter.com/HerUniverse and visiting the Her Universe Facebook page athttp://www.facebook.com/HerUniverse.