Ricky Gervais is among celebrities who have made their mark on a new fundraising initiative designed to raise awareness of prostate cancer.
Leading online retailer manbagcompany.com threw down the gauntlet to some of the UK’s favorite celebs to let their imaginations run riot and customize one of its exclusive Messenger bags. The great and the good from the arenas of fashion, comedy, art, music and film stepped forward to add their personal touches to a Manbag – and raise money for The Prostate Cancer Charity into the bargain.
A host of contributors rose to the challenge and joined Ricky in supporting the initiative, including Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Alan Carr, Rio Ferdinand, Twiggy, Jade Jagger, Joe Corres, Spandau Ballet, Darth Vader, Bruce Oldfield, Jimmy Choo, Tom Baker (Dr Who) and many more.
The resulting collection of bags – from the comic to the cool – will now be auctioned on eBay on 24 June, with all of the proceeds going to the Charity.
Ricky Gervais explained his belief as to why so many celebrities have come forward to support the campaign: “Prostate cancer touches the lives of 35,000 men and their families every year in the UK. I hope the auction of celebrity manbags will raise as much money as possible for The Prostate Cancer Charity.”
Manbagcompany.com has enjoyed great success since it launched its collection of top of the range men’s bags last year, so much so that it now wanted to give something back.
Says manbag founder Bain Ellisdon: “We are delighted to be raising funds for such a worthy cause as The Prostate Cancer Charity. We have received great feedback from those we have contacted so far; this initiative really seems to have brought out people’s creative as well as philanthropic side!”
John Neate, Chief Executive of The Prostate Cancer Charity, said: “This collaboration really seems to have struck people’s imaginations – and revealed some hidden artistic talent. The designs range from a glittery prostate by Jason Gardiner to a playful creation by Jimmy Choo. We would like to thank Bain and the rest of the Manbagcompany team for their support, as well as all of the celebrities who have taken the time to customize a bag. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. I think this project will really help raise awareness of the disease across different age groups, as well as generate funds for the Charity.”
To find out more and view the designs, click here.
