May 29, 2012
Celebrities Raise Money to Fight AIDS: Offer Hugs, Kisses and Vampire Bites
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.
CAP D'ANTIBES, France (AP) - Stars promised hugs, kisses, a massage - and a vampire bite - in a glamor-filled auction to raise money to fight AIDS.
Hoping to encourage bidders to open their wallets for items at Thursday's amfAR gala in the south of France, celebrity presenters offered some extra enticements. Heidi Klum offered a massage, Diane Kruger donated the services of her boyfriend Joshua Jackson, "Vampire Diaries" starlet Nina Dobrev said she'd willingly bite a bidder and Chris Tucker did a mini Michael Jackson dance routine.
Janet Jackson, Alec Baldwin, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Kylie Minogue, Gerard Butler and Kim Kardashian also attended the black tie event at the exclusive Hotel Du Cap overlooking the sea.
When the final hammer slammed down at the end of the night, the celebrity sales people had reached a total of nearly $11 million dollars, a record for the charity dedicated to HIV and AIDS research.
Though many references were made to the troubled European financial climate - Aloe Blacc took to the stage to sing "I Need a Dollar," while Jessie J performed "Price Tag" - austerity measures were not encouraged. Diners were pressed to empty their bank accounts.
An Andy Warhol Marilyn Monroe print sold for �600,000 ($753,000). A private match with tennis ace Novak Djokovic went for �90,000 ($113,000).
And the chance to star in a short film by fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, produced by Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein, was so popular it was offered twice over - adding another �850,000 ($1,000,000) to the total.
Models, including Karolina Kurkova, strutted on a catwalk between dining tables to show off 24 outfits, in the first fashion show at the French amfAR auction.
The designs, selected by former Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld to create the "Perfect Black Wardrobe," included pieces by Chanel, Dior, Armani, Kenneth Cole, Lanvin, Valentino, Tom Ford and Louis Vuitton. The winning bidder paid �300,000 ($377,000) to have them re-made in any size, and in any color - as long as it's black.
Stars partied around the pool in their finery until the early hours. A Donna Summer tribute DJ set got everyone dancing.
