Kendall-Jackson Hosts Five-Month, Online Charity Auction Featuring
Collectibles From Champion Thoroughbred
Filly Preakness Winner's Race Items Go to Highest Bidders: Benefit Cancer
Research
SANTA ROSA, Calif., June 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Kendall-Jackson Winery today
announced a five-month-long charity auction that will take place on its web
site (www.kj.com) and will feature items, donated by winery owner and
co-founder Jess Jackson, that are related to Rachel Alexandra's
already-historic thoroughbred racing season. A new item and new auction will
be introduced every month through November.
Each successive week's item will be more valuable -- culminating in a Super
Lot in November. All of the proceeds from the auction will benefit the V
Foundation for Cancer Research.
Bidders can now go to www.kj.com where they can place their bids on:
-- The First Auction Item: Halter worn by Rachel Alexandra prior to her
Preakness Stakes victory workouts.
Each month a new item of sports collectible memorabilia from Rachel
Alexandra's historic campaign-in-progress will be introduced on this auction
page. Each item, of progressively escalating value, will have a "blind
reserve" bid amount -- that amount is guaranteed by Jess Jackson and Barbara
Banke to be the least amount donated to the charity -- even if bidding is
below that amount and the item is not sold. All funds raised will go to the V
Foundation.
The final, Grand Item will be auctioned in November. The cumulative total of
all auction proceeds will be presented to the V Foundation after Rachel
Alexandra's last race of the season, or no later than November 30, 2009.
As bids are taken and recorded, a real-time moving graph will illustrate where
the price stands at any given moment. In addition, a cumulative running total
of money raised to date will be featured on the Kendall-Jackson web site home
page.
Every month, the winning bidders will posted and announced to the press
(unless they decline being identified). Though 100% of each auction purchase
will go the V Foundation for Cancer Research, a nonprofit organized under
Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, purchases of auction items are
not tax-deductible.
"This is a rare opportunity for us to use the notoriety of this amazing
athlete, her appeal to both men and women, to raise money to fight a disease
that steals from us all," said Jackson.
Rachel Alexandra, purchased by Jackson ten days before the Preakness Stakes,
became the first filly to win the Preakness since 1924, beating a field of
world-class colts, including Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird. She has
since become a symbol -- especially to young girls -- of the ability of talent
to compete across genders.
The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded by ESPN and Jim Valvano in
1993. Since that time V Foundation has raised more than $80 million and has
awarded cancer research grants in 38 states and the District of Columbia.
Researchers have developed their laboratories and taken their science from the
labs to the clinics with the help of funds raised by The V Foundation.
SOURCE Kendall-Jackson Winery
Mark Osmun, Public Relations Director of Kendall-Jackson Winery,
+1-707-525-6244, Mark.Osmun@jacksonfamilywines.com
