OSCAR Statuette Coming to a City Near You!

The first-ever Oscar Roadtrip will kick off on Monday, February 4, in New York City, and over the next three weeks will bring the excitement of the Oscars to numerous cities across the country. Fans along the way will have a chance to hold an actual Oscar statuette before it arrives on the Hollywood red carpet in time for the 85th Academy Awards presentation on Sunday, February 24.

Oscar's journey will be chronicled in videos, photos and blog posts by Oscar Roadtrip reporters Ben Gleib and Angie Greenup on OscarRoadtrip.com, @OscarRoadtrip and Facebook.com/TheAcademy. The pair will hit the nation's highways for the 21-day journey to some of Oscar's favorite cities, with a number of stops along the way to be determined by fans via social media. Everyone is invited to follow the progress of the trip, suggest a location for an impromptu Oscar visit and take a picture holding the coveted statuette.

"We created the Oscar Roadtrip to bring the magic and fun of the Oscar ceremony to movie fans across the country," said Josh Spector, managing director of digital media and marketing for the Academy. "The Oscar Roadtrip makes it possible to share the once-in-a-lifetime thrill that only comes from holding an Oscar statuette."

The Oscar Roadtrip is scheduled to visit the following cities on the following dates:

February 4 - New York
February 6 - Philadelphia
February 7 - Washington, D.C.
February 8 - Baltimore
February 11 - Chicago
February 13 - St. Louis
February 14 - Kansas City
February 17 - Houston
February 18 - Dallas
February 21 - Phoenix
February 24 - Hollywood

Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane. The Oscar presentation will be televised live on the ABC Television Network and in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Photo credit: ABC/BOB D'AMICO