Will the Mint Jubilee Gala outshine the Kentucky Derby?

Over the years the Mint Jubilee Gala has grown from 250 attendees to more than 1,500 and has become a signature Kentucky Derby event. Last year, they raised $350,000 after expenses. It isn't hard to imagine that soon the fundraiser will attract more attention than the Kentucky Derby itself.

According to a press release from the gala, the "celebrity" guests for tonight's event include:

Conrad Bachmann (The West Wing)
Nigel Barker (America’s Next Top Model)
Cristen Barker (Model, celebrity stylist)
Robert Bogue (Guiding Light)
Mandy Bruno (Guiding Light)
Greg Grunberg (Heroes, Alias, Lost, Band From TV)
Bob Guiney (Reality TV, The Bachelor, Band From TV)
Rebecca Budig Guiney (Actress, All My Children)
Phil Hellmuth (World Series of Poker)
John & Brad Hennegan (Producers, First Saturday in May)
Kathryn Joosten (Desperate Housewives, The West Wing)
Bonnie-Jill Laflin (LA Lakers Scout Manager, Maxim Hot 100, Model)
Billy Lopa (Artist)
Warren Moon (NFL Hall of Famer)
Joe Piscopo (Saturday Night Live, Comedian)
Nora Roberts (Author) Honorary Chair, Mint Jubilee 2007
Peter Searcy (Singer, Oprah’s Big Give)
Bonnie Somerville (Cashmere Mafia, Band From TV)
Fred Willard (Best in Show, Back to You)
Montel Williams (Talk show host)
Robert Williamson (Poker champion)

The 2008 auction items will include:

* Tickets to the 2008 Masters in Augusta
* VIP passes to the 2008 Emmy Awards and Governor’s Ball
* A trip to the 2008 PapaJohns.com Bowl in John Schnatter’s private jet
* Tickets to the upcoming MTV Movie Awards

If you don't have tickets already, forget about it... they've been sold out for quite some time.

eBay enforces mandatory charity donation on ticket sales

About a year ago, this blog wrote about how eBay reacted to scalpers selling charity concert tickets above face value by requiring them to donate 20% of the final sale price to good causes through their charity fundraising platform.

Well yesterday, I read on some British fundraising news sites that eBay decided has completed pilot programs and liked the results. Mark Lewis, UK managing director of eBay, told reporters:

"Last year we worked with the organisers of Live Earth to enable the nominated charity, Stop Climate Chaos, to raise an additional £30,000 by partnering with eBay on the resale of tickets. I am pleased to announce our plan to roll out similar fundraising initiatives for other major charity concerts on the UK site, and we will also introduce a ban on the sale of tickets for events where all the tickets are free as we have seen, for example, for various awareness raising events."

eBay said this means the charity stands to gain twice -- firstly from the original sale of the ticket and then from its resale.

I tried emailing the company, but it seems to me they are only doing on the UK version of eBay. Does anyone know if this rule applies for eBay here in the United States?

Auction gets $1 for dinner with Gov. Blanco

During a charity lunch presented by the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, in northeastern Louisiana, the last item up for bid was a chance to dine with Gov. Kathleen Blanco.

The AP reports that the bidding opened at $1,000 and dropped to $500 before the auctioneer accepted a $1 bid from bank executive Malcolm Maddox, a regional chairman for Capital One. Others were trying to bid on the dinner when the bidding abruptly closed.

Chamber president Sue Edmunds apologized for the "poor joke gone awry." Maddox came forward Monday to donate $1,000 to the chamber. He won't be dining at the governor's mansion, however. Edmunds said a chamber official will be going in Maddox's place.

While a spokesperson for Blanco said the Governor was too busy to care. But, how could that not sting? Isn't that the first rule when you are in one of these "date-auctions"? You have to have a ringer in the bidding to drive up the price. PETA has shown they make interesting use of these auctions to confront celebrities... I bet they would have paid more than a $1.