Auction: Sports Stars Help the Cause

By Stephen M. Silverman

Wednesday September 26, 2001 11:23 AM EDT

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Sports stars such as Tiger Woods, Andre Agassi and Venus Williams and fans like New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, hope to raise millions of dollars for victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, thanks to an e-Bay "Auction for America." The stated goal is to raise $100 million in 100 days, with all the proceeds going to disaster relief charities such as the Twin Towers Fund.The auction is open to everyone. Reuters reports that New York's mayor helped kick off the drive by promising to provide a baseball autographed by Hall of Famer Yogi Berra that was given to him at Yankee Stadium on "Yogi Berra Day" in 1999. New York Governor George Pataki was also participating by offering a photograph of himself and late Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio from the 1999 ticker tape parade honoring the World Series champions. Tiger Woods donated a framed autographed pin flag from the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, where he set tournament records for strokes below par and margin of victory. The bidding for the flag and accompanying plaque had already reached $10,000 on Tuesday -- with six days to go. "After such horrible events last week, everyone is pulling together to try to help," said tennis star Leslie Davenport. "Even though this might not seem like much, in a time like this every little bit can truly make a difference. This can provide a way for tennis fans around the world to make an impact."