Bid, List, or Donate to Stand Up To Cancer

Earlier this year, my father died of complications from prostate cancer. He was diagnosed in 2005 and for three long years he fought the good fight, along with my mother who was by his side all the time. Except in his last few days, by which time the cancer had spread to other parts of his body and he was fading in and out of consciousness, he remained the man he had always been -- tough, articulate, loving, and with an indomitable sense of humor that moved even his case-hardened doctors.

But it got him in the end.

It seems very unfair to me that some tiny, insidious cells cut short the life of a man who overcame many challenges to provide for his family, who was a great father and husband, and a good human being. But there it is. One in three women, and one in two men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes. Almost as sobering is this information from the Stand Up To Cancer website:

"Since 2003, the government's cancer research budget has been cut every single year. This lack of funds pits scientists against one another and stifles new treatments from getting to patients quickly."

Rather than wait around for the system to change, Stand Up To Cancer looks to take matters into our own hands. Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is a groundbreaking movement in the fight against cancer (read their mission statement). Its innovative approach is designed to bring the best and brightest investigators and scientists from leading institutions around the world to form "Dream Teams." This collaborative effort will accelerate cancer research and bring new therapies to patients more quickly. The hope is to make great big strides in prevention, detection, treatment, and even reversal of one of the leading causes of suffering and death. The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the oldest and largest scientific organization in the world focusing on every aspect of high-quality, innovative cancer research, will conduct expert scientific review of the research projects and administer funds raised through the Stand Up To Cancer initiative under the direction of a Scientific Advisory Committee.

The entertainment industry is heavily involved in Stand Up To Cancer, and so is eBay. In a coordinated effort, Stand Up To Cancer is auctioning a number of celebrity items and experiences through eBay Giving Works, with 100% of the proceeds going to Stand Up To Cancer and the fight against the disease. These charity auctions are aimed to build awareness for a historic September 5th televised event to be simultaneously broadcast on ABC, NBC and CBS at 8pm EST and PST featuring an extraordinary line-up of actors, musicians, athletes and journalists.

Besides celebrity items and experiences like a round of golf with Sugar Ray Leonard or two tickets to watch a taping of Dancing With The Stars, you can also bid on a lot of items listed by eBay sellers in support of Stand Up To Cancer. Of course, you can also donate directly through PayPal.

I'm standing up for my father, the best human being I ever knew. Who are you standing up for?

Breaking Records at the Buffet(t)

This title is a weak homage to Ninad's previous post about the annual lunch with Warren Buffett auctioned off through eBay Giving Works, not about my gluttonous habits at all-you-can-consume eateries. But just like the make-your-own-sundae bar, the result of this year's listing makes you feel good all over.

After all was said and done, the winner gets to nosh with the "Oracle of Omaha" for a whopping $2.1 million dollars! As you can read here, even Buffett was surprised by the high bid. That will go a long way in helping The Glide Foundation support the poor and homeless in San Francisco.

The listing was a major milestone for eBay Giving Works as well -- it's the highest amount a charitable listing has ever brought in through the program! You can learn more about the listing, and The Glide Foundation, on eBay Giving Work's What Gives?! blog.

For those that don't have that kind of coin to throw around but want to make a difference, make sure to check out eBay Giving Works for other listings that support your favorite causes (or list a few items yourself).

Get A YMail Email Address That Supports Your Favorite Cause

eBay Giving Works and Yahoo! Mail are working together to auction off select email addresses (from the new ymail and rocketmail domains) for charity. How cool would it be to have an email address that supports your favorite cause each time you send an email? For instance, pinkribbon[at]ymail.com to show support for breast cancer research, oceanadvocate[at]rocketmail.com to show your concern for the state of the planet's oceans, or curecancer[at]rocketmail.com.

For the details, I could do no better than to point you to the YMail Blog, now run by none other than Ryan Knight, our popular Chatter alumnus (in fact he practically set up The Chatter!).

The ymail and rocketmail charity auctions run through Sunday.

"Go Big" with a Hollywood Hair Stylist - I don't mean Bee-hives

Have you ever been at the movie theatre or sitting at home watching television and thought to yourself, "I wonder who styles that actress' hair?"

Or perhaps you've always wanted to have a brand new hair-do styled by one of those posh, Hollywood stylists to the stars? Well, here's your chance to bid on a similar experience.

Hollywood A-list Hair stylist, Ken Paves, seen frequently on T.V. on Oprah, is spearheading the "Ken Paves Big Give Charity Auction." Proceeds raised will benefit the EB Medical Research Foundation.

Check out some of the cool items from celebrities like Brad Pitt & George Clooney, David Beckam, Bette Middler, Courtney Cox, Duran Duran, and many more.

Here's your chance to "give big" by doing good through eBay Giving Works.  

Meet Kristin Davis on eBay!

Another Oxfam-ous celeb sighting on eBay, after last week's Scarlett Johansson listing. This time it's good girl Charlotte from Sex And The City who's doing the good works. Kristin Davis is auctioning off two tickets to the premiere of Sex And The City: The Movie, in which she reprises the role of good girl Charlotte.

It turns out that, in real life too, Kristin's been emulating the persona of the character that made her famous. She's been supporting Oxfam since the 2004 South East Asian tsunami. More recently, she's also devoted her attention to the efforts of women's groups and community-based organizations whose work focuses on the response to the HIV epidemic.

According to the listing description, the winning bidder will receive:

• Two tickets to the world premiere of Sex and the City in New York City on May 27, 2008.
• On camera meet and greet with Kristin Davis at the premiere
• Chauffeured car service to the premiere
• Hair and makeup for one person by Privé
• A pair of Jimmy Choo "Felix" shoes in your size. Size range: 35.5-40.5 (US 5.5-10.5)

In addition, of course, the winning bidder will also receive the satisfaction of knowing that the proceeds from this auction are going to Oxfam America, an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and injustice.

Visit Kristin Davis' eBay listing to watch a little video in which she talks about her support for Oxfam.

"Git-R-Done" for Juvenile Diabetes Research

Alright everybody, "Git-R-Done"!  That's the famous saying from Larry the Cable Guy. You probably know him as one of three comedians that make up the Blue Collar Comedy team, along with Jeff Foxworthy and Bill Engvall.

You're probably wondering what it is you're supposed to "Git-Done," right?

Well, that would be checking out and perhaps bidding on Larry The Cable Guy's auctions for charity. First, is two VIP tickets to one of his famously sold-out comedy shows, complete with a special meet-and-greet with Mr. Cable Guy himself.  But the BIG prize here is his beloved 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 4X4 Sport Truck, which Larry the Cable Guy has personally signed himself. The auctions started on Monday, Feb. 11 and the truck is up to  $20,100 and the VIP tickets to his show are going for $2,250.

Listed using eBay's Giving Works feature, 100% of the proceeds of both auctions go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Look for the blue and gold ribbon  icons used to distinguish any item listed for a non-profit through Charity Giving Works.

So now you know. So, go on, "Git-R-Done" as these two fantastic auctions end tomorrow to help out a very worthy cause.

TLC Returns...Because You Gotta Have Heart

For all the fans of the eBay Traveling Lab Coat (TLC), you'll be happy to learn that latest version has been listed for auction.

This time the (TLC) is back new and improved complete with it's own successful Heart "transplant." Embroidered inside the jacket, at the top, near the collar, the new Heart provides the lucky owner wearing the (TLC) that warmth and protection often found among those with a good Heart.

While growing in popularity, the Traveling Lab Coat (TLC) has been listed again using eBay's Giving Works tool. A full 100% of the final proceeds are destined to provide tender loving care to the St. Louis Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, whose services help to save lives and hope to increase the greatest chance to find a cure for breast cancer.

The current high bid is $200.00, but luckily 3 days remain in the auction to allow for the eBay Community to display how generous it's Heart is by paying it forward once again with the great Traveling Lab Coat (TLC) auctions. This should be exciting!

May I Have the Envelope Please?

Maybe the stars in Hollywood don't have as many red carpet awards shows this year, but the latest promotion from eBay brings the red carpet to you.  On February 4th, eBay launched the "And the Winner Is...YOU!" promotion, which runs through February 29th.  (Yes, it is a leap year!)  There are daily instant winners of eBay Gift Certificates, and each entry also puts you in the running for one of the Grand Prizes which include a VIP trip to 2009 Grammy®  Awards, a VIP trip to the 2008 Indy 500® , or $10,000 to spend on eBay. 

In keeping with the awards show theme, be sure to check out the latest TV commercials, which include Awards Show, Acceptance Speech, and Vocal Exercises. 

And if you're hungry for your fix of celebrities, we have some of those too!  A number of A-listers will be a part of the eBay red carpet experience, with some one-of-a-kind items and experiences up for auction through eBay Giving Works.  The best part is all of the proceeds will benefit non-profit organizations.  Shakira has a number of auctions currently running, and Tom Hanks recently completed some radio auctions which raised over $13,000 for the Freeplay Foundation.  More auctions will be added throughout the month from Larry the Cable Guy, Scarlett, Johansson, Kristin Davis and more. 

I think I hear the crescendo of music telling me my time on this stage is complete.  Be sure to check the Shop Victoriously site throughout the month to enter the instant win game and sweepstakes and to see the latest celebrity auctions.  Here is the Awards Show TV commercial:

Run Your Own Amazing Race While Looking Like Ron and Chris

I'm not a huge reality show junkie (except for that darn Survivor addiction that I always say I'm  going to shake and then never do), but I consider The Amazing Race to be must-see TV. If you've never tuned in, here's how it works. Teams of two people, each with a relationship that can vary from "Sisters" to "Newly Dating" to "Grandfather/Grandson," are racing around the world, completing tasks to earn clues that tell them where to go next. Each episode covers a leg of the race, and the last team to cross the finish line each show is eliminated. Once they're down to the final 3 teams, it's an all-out mad dash to finish first overall and claim the million dollar grand prize.

I love it because the contestants get to visit (and do activities in) a variety of locales all around the world. In fact, I've even applied for the show - the fact that we didn't even make it to the "rejection form letter" stage tells you all you need to know about how interesting our video was.

Anyway, as I perused the CBS site looking for details about next season, I saw a note that father/daughter team Ronald and Christina, the second-place finishers from the previous race, were auctioning off the shirts they'd worn during the race on eBay (including his famous "Who's Your Daddy" shirt). Theirs was a cool story. He's a self-described workaholic dad that wasn't around much while Christina was growing up, and they hoped the race would bring them closer together. After some rough moments early on, Ronald learrned to put away his critical side and started treating his daughter as an equal. After that, they cruised to the finals, and were just edged out for the big prize at the end.

But the reason why they're auctioning off the shirts is even cooler. During the show they spent two legs in Burkina Faso, one of the poorer nations in the world. There they were struck by the living conditions, and the fact that most children don't have access to even basic education. They decided to do something about it, and are auctioning the shirts off through eBay Giving Works to benefit Sheltering Wings, an orphanage in the town of Yako that provides shelter and care to children who have lost their parents and have no access to primary education. Check out all the details, and the shirts, on the About Me page they put together.

Celebrity Stars Shine for a Good Cause

If you haven't visited the Shop Victoriously site lately, take a look around! The site has been updated and the red carpet rolled out for some great celebrities and their auctions to benefit various non-profits.

Tom Hanks has kicked things off with some unique Lifeline radios up for auction.  Not only has he autographed the radios, but the winner will also receive a personal letter and signed photo from him as well! Lifeline radios can be powered either by solar or by wind-up, and they provide crucial lines of communication in many parts of Africa where electricity is non-existent. These radios provide education, health advice, life skills and news to children, farmers, and the general population. Check out the video (starring, of course, Mr. Hanks) which really demonstrates the power of these radios.

He's listed 10 of these autographed radios through eBay Giving Works, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Freeplay Foundation. The Freeplay Foundation's mission is to provide sustainable access to information and education to the poorest of the poor.

While on the Shop Victoriously site, you might also see another exciting promotion coming in early February for your chance to win cool prizes as we continue to roll out the red carpet. In addition, other unique celebrity auctions will be added soon from Shakira, Counting Crows, Scarlett Johansson, Kristin Davis, Colin Firth, and more! Check the Shop Victoriously site regularly for updates.