MDA Opens First National Online Auction to Benefit Jerry’s Kids

    TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 21 /EMWNews/ -- New this year, the

Muscular Dystrophy Association will launch its first-ever national online

auction at http://www.mda.org/auctions in conjunction with the 43rd Annual Jerry

Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon. The auction, beginning today, features an

impressive array of unique specialty items, with all proceeds benefiting

the Association.



    More than 2,500 items donated by celebrities, sports figures, MDA

sponsors and other friends of the Association are divided among categories

such as celebrity and sport memorabilia, unique experiences, a year supply

of..., travel, electronics, golf and more. One featured category will offer

105 collectible Harley-Davidson pieces to commemorate the company's 105th

anniversary celebration. Harley-Davidson is a longtime sponsor of MDA.



    "This is a new, exciting and fun way to help my kids," MDA National

Chairman and Telethon star Jerry Lewis said. "It's a way to get some

fantastic items, or experience something unique that wouldn't otherwise be

possible -- all while helping in the fight against muscle diseases."



    Some of the top celebrity items up for bid are:



    -- A Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon package with four VIP tickets to the 2009

Telethon in Las Vegas, a one-bedroom suite at the South Point Hotel, Casino

& Spa and a meet-and-greet with Jerry Lewis himself.



    -- Two tickets to the 2008 "Entertainment Tonight" post-Emmy bash in

Los Angeles.



    -- Tickets to watch a taping of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars."



    -- Four tickets to the Broadway show "Grease," co-starring "American

Idol's" Ace Young, and dinner with Ace afterward.



    -- Tour and taping of "Access Hollywood" in Los Angeles for two.



    -- Four VIP tickets to a Jay Leno show taping in Los Angeles.



    -- Two tickets to Tony Orlando's New Year's Eve show at the South Point

Hotel, Casino & Spa, a one-bedroom suite, a photo opportunity and dinner

with Tony.



    -- Four tickets to see "America's Got Talent" winner Terry Fator at the

Las Vegas Hilton and dinner with Terry after the performance.



    -- Two tickets to see Tracy Lawrence at the Grand Ole Opry on Oct. 21,

including roundtrip air, one-night hotel stay in Nashville and a private

backstage tour with Tracy.



    -- A guitar signed by the Jonas Brothers, Tim McGraw, Blondie and

Dickey Betts.



    The Harley-Davidson section includes a 105th Anniversary Edition

Heritage Softail Classic motorcycle and a Fender collector guitar worth

$10,000.



    Visitors can also bid on unique items such as a free year's worth of

gas, a Honda Fit car and an Eli Manning autographed Super Bowl hat.



    The event will support MDA's programs of research, services, public

information and summer camp, which provides kids with a week of accessible

activities such as swimming, horseback riding, fishing and arts and crafts.



    To participate in the auction, which runs through Sept. 4, visit

http://www.mda.org/auctions.



    MDA (http://www.mda.org) is a nonprofit voluntary health agency working to

defeat muscular dystrophy and related diseases through programs of

worldwide research, comprehensive services, and far-reaching professional

and public health education. The Association's programs are funded almost

entirely by individual private contributors.