Celebrity Crafts For A Cause Auction Off And Running

Online, March 15, 2010 (Newswire.com) - New York, March 15, 2010 - Stars from the indie music and Hollywood scene came together to donate one-of-a-kind handmade items for a 2-week, online auction benefitting Haiti.

Drew Barrymore, Norah Jones, Feist, the cast of Parks and Recreation, Rodarte,
author Neil Gaiman, Jenny Lewis, No Doubt, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Natalie Portman, Kate Nash, Tegan and Sara, Mark Ronson, Spike Jonze, Daft Punk, Vampire Weekend...and many more artists have contributed items to the auction organized by Binki Shapiro (of Los Angeles band Little Joy).

Shortly after the earthquake struck, Ms. Shapiro's sister, Cheney, went to Port-Au-Prince to volunteer in the recovery efforts. Upon hearing firsthand stories of desperation and catastrophe from Cheney, Binki felt she had to do something to help combat the immeasurable suffering still greatly affecting the region.

"As I recounted these stories to my friends and colleagues I found that they too felt this desire to fulfill a moral obligation but shared a sense of helplessness."

Reaching out to her peers, Binki organized the star-studded auction, which began today. Fifty percent of the items received a bid in the first day, showing great promise for this fund raising effort.

All proceeds will go to Artists For Peace and Justice, a foundation established in early 2009 by Paul Haggis (director of Academy Award Winning film CRASH) to raise funds for Father Rick Frechette who has worked in the slums of Haiti for 22 years. Mr. Haggis met Father Frechette during a trip to Haiti and created the foundation to help him achieve his goals there. His foundation is one of the few organizations which covers its own overhead, so 100% of funds go to the efforts in Haiti.

Items in the Crafts for a Cause auction include Kings of Leon limited edition silk screens, a Drew Barrymore decorated camera,T-shirts decorated by Feist, Norah Jones, Shirley Manson (Garbage), Le Tigre, Rodarte and others, wallets decorated by The Strokes and Sia and various other crafted bags and clothing. Also included are signed guitars, movie and television memorabilia, original artwork and much more.

Bidding location : biddingforgood.com/craftsforacause

Website : craftsforacause.tumblr.com

Paul Haggis's foundation : artistsforpeaceandjustice.com

Media Contact : Stephanie Casey : [email protected]