Christie’s Green Auction: A Bid to Save the Earth will be laying out the green carpet for celebrities who are lending their star power for a bid to save the earth.
Celebrities are turning out to be among the biggest players in philanthropy in 2010. The Green Auction exemplifies what can be achieved when a fantastic mix of people from various industries, unite for one purpose: to advocate for the environment.
Christie’s, along with NBC Universal, Barneys New York, and Charitybuzz, has put together an incredible star-studded campaign called A Bid to Save the Earth tied to the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. This huge initiative will raise funds for 4 environmental not-for-profits – Oceana, Natural Resources Defense Council, Conservation International, and Central Park Conservancy. In addition to a live auction at Christie’s, complete with A-list attendees and “green carpet” on April 22nd, there will be a companion online silent auction at www.charitybuzz.com from April 8 – May 6. Christies is waiving all fees and commissions for the auction.
Internationally renowned conceptual artist Damien Hirst recently summed up why he was participating in the Green Auction, and why other artists are willing to donate their works to help save the earth: ‘A worthy cause that I couldn’t say no to’.
How did the Green Project come into being? Conversations among friends including environmentalist and documentarian Susan Rockefeller and Barneys New York fashion director Julie Gilhart quickly snowballed into meetings with top environmental non-profits, NBC’s Green is Universal initiative, Christies and major corporations. These conversations revealed overlapping and ever-expanding circles of passionate, committed and skilled people ready to unite in order to make this idea a reality.
The commitments from all groups have been astounding and without hesitation – artists have waived all fees, NBC signed on as an official media partner, Deutsche Bank became lead sponsor of the event, CharityBuzz developed a companion online auction, Barney’s engaged the fashion community, the list goes on. This is truly a linking or arms and the ultimate in networking for the purpose of protecting the environment.
The Host Committee includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Harrison Ford, Tobey Maguire, François-Henri Pinault, Salma Hayek, Candice Bergen, Edward Norton, Evelyn Lauder, Alec Baldwin, Zaha Hadid, Matt Lauer, Brooke Shields, Sigourney Weaver, Cameron Diaz, Ted Danson and Kyra Sedgwick.
Master of Ceremonies Chevy Chase will lead not only a festive evening, but one with a clearly defined goal: “I am very excited to be the host for A Bid to Save the Earth and look forward to a wonderful event and auction at Christie’s. My family and I are so supportive of the efforts to raise funds and awareness to protect and preserve the planet.”
Barneys New York and Loomstate have created a beautiful limited edition $40 T-shirt to raise money for the campaign, which many of these celebrities will wear to make their bid to save the earth in a video to be released this month.
A-listers have also donated dozens of incredible experiences up for auction, including:
- David Duchovny is auctioning the chance to have lunch with him on the set of Californication.
- Hugh Jackman is auctioning off the chance to spend the day on the set of Reel Steel with him this summer.
- Candice Bergen is auctioning off the chance to stroll with her through Central Park and then have lunch at the Boathouse.
- Vera Wang is auctioning the chance to have lunch with her at The Mercer Kitchen, followed by a $10,000 shopping spree at the Vera Wang boutique.
A preview of auction items can be found here.
The Green Auction mission is to renew interest in the environment for the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, as well as raise millions for the NGOs, and this could not be done without the help of our huge celebrity and philanthropic supporters. This star-studded initiative is a testament to how the biggest celebrities are increasingly using their fame and influence to raise money and awareness for the most pressing causes facing our world.
