Starlight Children’s Foundation and Auction Cause Work to Raise Much-Needed Funds for Starlight Through One-Of-A-Kind Auction Packages

Los Angeles, CA (Vocus) May 27, 2009 –

Starlight Children’s Foundation and Auction Cause have joined forces to raise funds for Starlight’s seriously ill children and their family members through unique online auction packages. The latest exclusive experiential online auctions at http://www.ebay.com/starlight – include an MTV Movie Awards Show package and two sports packages donated by DIRECTV, descriptions below:

• Until May 27, bid on the chance to attend the 2009 MTV Movie Awards hosted by Andy Samberg on May 31, 2009 in Los Angeles! Presenters will include Cameron Diaz, Denzel Washington, Jonah Hill, Leighton Meester, Lil Wayne, Ryan Reynolds, Vanessa Hudgens, and Will Ferrell. Eminem and Kings of Leon are scheduled to perform. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the event. The auction will also include two 1-day passes to Universal Studios.
• Until June 4, bid to watch golfers Tiger Woods, Darren Clarke, Phil Mickelson and others battle it out up-close-and-personal with two tickets to the 109th U.S. Open Championship at Bethgate State Park’s Black Course in Farmingdale, NY.
• Auction date to be determined, but people will have the chance very soon to bid on two tickets to Major League Baseball All-Star Sunday, Home Run Derby & 80th All-Star Game St. Louis, MO - July 12-14, 2009. Plus, enjoy watching the XM All-Star Futures Game, All-Star Legends, & Celebrity Softball Game. Hotel and airfare are included.

“Thanks to our partnership with Auction Cause and to generous donors of auction packages, Starlight has been the beneficiary of numerous online auctions that have connected us to new donors and provided an additional source of revenue to fund our programs for children facing chronic and life-threatening illnesses,” said Paula Van Ness, CEO of Starlight. “Right now we have MTV and DIRECTV to thank for offering us tickets to these really cool once-in-a-lifetime experiences that will make some lucky winners’ dreams come true, all while making a huge difference in the lives of Starlight families.”

Starlight and Auction Cause have partnered before, most notably to provide a once-in-a-lifetime chance for a lucky winner who got to experience zero gravity with the world-renowned Professor Stephen Hawking. Another successful auction provided one-of-a-kind relics from the making of Henry Selick’s latest stop motion animated film, “Coraline.”

“We are thrilled that a corporation such as DIRECTV is giving back in such a meaningful way. They truly understand that cause marketing through eBay auctions affords them an opportunity to authentically showcase their support of worthy causes such as Starlight Children'’s Foundation,” said Eric Gazin, President of Auction Cause.

About Auction Cause
Auction Cause is the leader in cause marketing campaigns, branding, and fundraising utilizing the eBay platform, generating more than 1 billion media impressions and counting. By integrating our clients' campaigns with social media outreach using Twitter, Facebook, blogs, viral videos, and more, Auction Cause is able to tap an even wider audience. The results are brand loyalty, nonprofit enthusiasm, and celebrity buzz - all while raising serious money for causes. For more information, please visit http://www.auctioncause.com.

About Starlight Children’s Foundation
When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is affected. For 25 years, Starlight Children’s Foundation has been dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. Starlight’s programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone. Through a network of chapters and offices, Starlight provides ongoing support to children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces with an array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings. Programs are also delivered internationally through affiliates in Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. To learn more about Starlight visit http://www.starlight.org or visit our eBay store at http://www.ebay.com/starlight.

Contact:
Donna DeDario
Starlight Children’s Foundation
323-556-3322
donna.dedario(at)starlight.org

Gwen Paja
Auction Cause
323-655-0554
gwen(at)actioncause.com

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