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MUMBAI: Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar is up for sale for a day! Saif Ali Khan is selling his sunglasses. Deepika Padukone is selling her handbag and Imtiaz Ali is selling the script of one of his movies. Leading CEOs like Narayana Murthy, Kumar Birla and KV Kamath are selling a day of their time. So what?s happening? Are we in for a serious economic downturn?
Not really ! All of them and many others are participating in the first edition of the Joy of Giving Week, to be held from September 27- October 3, 2009 across India. They are participating not by just giving money, but by committing their time, skills and resources for a cause. A day?s cricket coaching with Sachin, an opportunity for ISB students to shadow India?s leading CEOs for a day, Saif?s mobile phone, sunglasses and bag and Deepika?s easel and handbag from the movie Love Aaj Kal, an Imtiaz Ali autographed original script of the blockbuster hit movie, Jab We Met and a few other items will be auctioned at www.eBay.in/jgw with the proceeds going to a range of charities chosen by each of these personalities.
The auctions will go live on eBay at 12 noon on Friday, September 25, 2009 and end at 12 noon on October 5, 2009. A nominal minimum bid price of Rs1,001 has been kept for all items, to encourage every Indian to get a chance to bid, even if not win, these wonderful opportunities. More items will get added to the site during the Joy of Giving Week. eBay is providing the auction engine and support completely free of cost as its contribution to the effort.
Sachin says, ?I will spend quality time with the person or team that bids generously. All the money is going to a good cause, and I will reciprocate by offering some serious cricketing tips, besides suitable photo opportunities and I?ll end the camp with lunch together with the participants.?
Saif Ali Khan says, ?As part of the Joy of Giving Week, I am myself auctioning some of the things I used from the movie - Love Aaj Kal, like my mobile phone, my bag and my sunglasses. It is all for charity, for a great cause, so please give freely?.
Deepika Padukone added, ?I am offering on auction things from the movie Love Aaj Kal, like my foldable easel and even a little handbag that I used. The proceeds will go to help the underprivileged girl child. So bid generously, and together, let?s celebrate the Joy of Giving Week?.
Imtiaz Ali, Director of Jab We Met, said, ?The Joy of Giving Week is an idea whose time has come. The 21st century belongs to us Indians and we can take our rightful place among global superpowers if we all join together and give to create opportunities for the less fortunate.?
The auction of the opportunity to shadow leading CEOs is a ?private auction? limited to the students of ISB in the first year. More than 100 ISB students are participating, with bids averaging well over Rs25,000 to ?shadow? a CEO for a day.
The proceeds from Sachin?s auction will go towards Apnalaya ? a Mumbai based NGO which helps slum children towards leading a better life ? a cause that Sachin has been associated with for quite a few years and provides significant financial support to. ?We are delighted and thank Sachin for this most generous gift of his precious time to benefit Apnalaya?, said Leena Joshi, Director, Apnalaya.
Proceeds from the auction of Love Aaj Kal items will benefit IIMPACT, an NGO founded by IIMA alumni to educate under-privileged girl children, working in four rural districts in the states of Rajasthan and U.P., Karnataka and Jharkhand. Sharing his excitement, Anil Tandon, President of IIMPACT, says, ?On behalf of 10,000 IIMPACT girls we thank the team of ‘ Love Aaj Kal ‘ from the bottom of our hearts. We are truly happy that ‘Love‘ can create such a difference!"
